In a comprehensive 300+ page analysis, research firm ReportLinker puts the global size of cloud computing at US $1,143.2 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate of no less than 15%. And in that colossal movement Google Cloud would consolidate among the top 3 positions, according to Gartner.
Cloud computing solutions and applications are not a fad or a passing trend; they are the future of information technology (IT) and any business owner, regardless of their line of business or activity, must recognize the benefits of the cloud for their business.
Gone are the years when business networks and applications were limited by four walls, a local server and a few PCs.
Today it is possible to access key business data and metrics, work and make decisions from anywhere, thanks to cloud products and solutions from world-class providers such as Google Cloud.
More on IT development and operations: Six reasons why DevOps methodology is good for your business.
Some Benefits of Cloud Solutions and Services
According to an article recently published by Yahoo! Finance when any company integrates cloud solutions and services into its operations it capitalizes on opportunities and benefits such as:
- Backup from a global provider for your data and applications.
- Optimize your workloads, systems and servers, making it possible to scale when necessary.
- Back up all your data, systems and applications and implement disaster recovery best practices.
- Save substantial investments in your own IT infrastructure, management and upgrade costs.
- Provide 24/7 reliability and availability of your services.
- Optimize your networks and applications by reducing latencies.
- Implement best practices in storage, use, management and transmission of data and corporate systems.
- Encryption and security of your data and communications.
- Agility in your developments, implementations and new releases.
- Gain security and privacy of your sensitive data and those of your customers.
- Ensure regulatory compliance in the treatment and privacy of data.
- Enhance the skills of your IT operations and support team.
And these are just some of the benefits of cloud solutions for small businesses. Now let’s see how Google Cloud offerings can help you achieve these benefits.
Top Google Cloud Services and Solutions for SMBs and Startups
On a personal level many of us have witnessed how Google Alphabet, parent of all Google businesses, promotes developments for the masses at really affordable costs, Google Cloud solutions are no stranger to this.
Google’s powerful infrastructure, allows companies of any size or activity to gain efficiency and foster innovation through different ways: Virtualization and computing power, optimal data storage, automatic scaling applications and security deployment, AI and data analytics.
It is worth noting that the Google Cloud suite for small businesses encompasses approximately 150 solutions and these are just some of the most important Google Cloud solutions for small businesses:
Compute Engine and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)
Kurbernetes is an open source platform developed by Google to manage workloads and services in the cloud with attributes of scalability, easy deployment and interoperability.
Google’s Kubernetes is the ideal environment for deploying other agile development architectures such as microservices and containerization.
An environment that promotes orchestration of compute, networking and storage for the benefit of application stock efficiency and overall IT management.
GKE makes it possible to create and configure virtual machines for horizontal scaling of any workload when needed, paying only for consumption.
Something that also makes possible a simple, progressive migration, moving directly from local servers to virtual machines, without having to rewrite code and avoiding the implications of time, cost and effort.
Kurbernetes allows you to deploy architectures for agile developments such as microservices, know 7 benefits of microservices for your business.
Google Cloud Serverless
Google’s cloud implementation that, as its name implies, enables the development and deployment of scalable applications on a serverless platform.
A feature that promotes the deployment of applications up to 95% faster and reduces up to 75% the need for local infrastructure.
Google’s serverless platforms include:
- Cloud Run: For the development of applications in any language in an agile way and its scalability in real time, depending on the traffic, paying per consumption.
- Cloud Functions: For developing and executing scripts and streamlining development tasks. Simplifies orchestration by connecting with Google and third-party cloud, allowing functions to be executed in various environments, avoiding vendor lock-ins.
- Service integration: Service integration for error-free application interoperability.
Data Storage
Data Storage
Google cloud storage options for businesses of any industry or size.
Google’s storage options promise to replicate any structured or unstructured enterprise data format in minutes with above-market-average durability.
Google Cloud Storage promises fast and simple data migration at a lower cost, and other advantages include configurable automatic redundancy options depending on parameters such as latency, upload speed and disaster recovery times.
These are some of the Google cloud storage options available to enterprises:
Standard Storage: ideal for data storage with high access frequency, such as streaming and mobile websites and applications.
Nearline Storage: Low-cost storage service for less frequently accessed data, backups, databases.
Coldline Storage: Ideal for data accessed infrequently in a quarter, such as DR systems.
Archive Storage: Very low cost for data storage with very low access frequency, such as compliance archives.
Among other Google cloud storage services, the BigQuery warehouse is shaping up to be a serverless, multi-cloud data warehouse with machine learning and data analytics capabilities included, easily adaptable to any data format at any scale.
These are best practices for migrating from a monolithic to a microservices-based architecture.
Web hosting
A basic service for any business seeking a digital presence. Google web hosting provides a complete range for the deployment and optimization of dynamic or static websites.
- Domain names
- Corporate email
- Content management system
- Codeless web development
- Deployment and configuration of advertising
All in a full stack as a service (XaaS) of more than 100 possibilities for digital presence and optimization.
You might be interested in: Here are the best practices for implementing an e-commerce business.
Databases
All of Google’s expertise in data handling and management is available to small businesses through its database solutions.
Google Cloud provides the infrastructure for development on managed open source databases for essential applications and functionality.
Google’s database solutions are characterized by their code licenses compatible with the main database management systems on the market, such as MySQL or SQL Server. With this you will achieve optimal results from migrations of heterogeneous environments and outdated systems.
Google Cloud AI implementations
Under the slogan ‘AI is in our DNA’ Google boasts its artificial intelligence implementations. Here are some of its AI tools:
- Vertex AI: Machine learning-based platform where developers, engineers and data scientists can optimize ML experimentation in a simple, unified interface.
- Contact Center AI: To offer your customers a personalized experience with AI implementations on par with Google Assistant.
- Document AI: Graphical optical recognition applications for structured and unstructured data streams.
- Intelligent Products & Product Discovery: AI functionalities for information update and customer interaction, prototype development, templates, AI recommendations and customer experience.
- Dialog Flow: AI interaction on different devices and platforms.
- Speech-to-Text & Text-To-Speech: Speech-to-text and text-to-text converters with an application programming interface based on Google AI technology.
- Video AI & Vision AI: leveraging machine learning for metadata extraction from videos and interpretation of visual material.
Data Analytics
Google Cloud Smart Analytics is Google’s data analytics platform. Like all its solutions, it is based on an open, flexible and secure code to integrate the Data Driven culture to your business.
Dataflow enables real-time streaming data analytics.
Looker and BigQuery include functionalities for the development of Business Intelligence strategies.
Google Marketing Platform encourages the implementation of useful metrics to maximize the efficiency of marketing campaigns.
Earth Engine & Google Maps Platform represent powerful, AI-based solutions for the deployment of geospatial analytics.
Google Cloud Marketplace
An impressive library of Google Cloud-integrated applications that foster productivity and collaborative innovation, its pillars include:
- Macrodata (+300 Apps)
- Analytics (+460 Apps)
- Machine Learning (+170 Apps)
- Databases (+280 Apps)
- Cybersecurity (+434)
- CMS (+220)
- Networking (+280)
- API’s and developer tools (+450)
Among other SaaS (software as a service) and PaaS (development environments as a service) solutions hosted in the Google Cloud infrastructure.
Google Cloud Solutions for SMBs and Startups – Conclusion
Google Cloud is the cloud for SMBs, as we have seen in this brief installment it offers multiple possibilities for any business to grow rapidly, accelerating its digital transformation.
All Google Cloud implementations are available to any business in Mexico and Chile with the support of business partners such as NU Tech.
NU Technology is an enabler partner of Google Cloud solutions and other world-class manufacturers.
We integrate the best solutions and implementations at every stage of your cloud development, from design, migration, testing, optimization, management, training and support.
Capitalize on the benefits and benefits of Cloud Computing and other IT solutions from the hand of a value provider and integrator of the best managed services in information technology.