Adopting new technology can be tricky when there are so many similar terms like cloud based, cloud native, and cloud hosted. Plus, there's a whole host of jargon that goes along with each one of those. Let's unpack some of the cloud-related definitions.
This is software that you install on your operating system, whether that's Windows, Mac, or some type of Linux.
In short, it's just a server. "Cloud" is just a new term we've been using for the same basic technology we already had. The cloud is the server.
If you're not familiar with servers, a server is basically a computer that you can access from a different location. Let's say that I have a huge collection of butterfly photos that I want to share. I decide to make my computer accessible to the internet so other people can view my photos. My computer is now acting as a server, because it's serving files to other people's computers.
Anyone could setup their own server at home. You can use an old computer to serve files, or web pages, or whatever. But, you'd need to make sure that computer was always connected to the internet. Also, sometimes the traffic (the amount of people connecting to your server) would overwhelm your computer. You'd need to run special software to keep it up and running, and you may need backup copies in case your old hard drive goes out.
This can be a lot of work for the average person, and that's why we pay hosting companies. They're called hosting companies because they host your files on their servers. Now you don't have to worry about all the maintenance.
Because, although it's the same piece of equipment, we've found new ways to take advantage of it.
When the internet was new it was too slow to do what we're doing now. We could only share basic information, like a company's location and services, or maybe a few photos. But now we can run much more data through our modern internet connections. This allows us to not only store big amounts of data and files, but also to run complex programs. Now your software can be stored on a server that can be accessed from anywhere.
This means you don't need to download or install your software. You can just use your internet browser to reach it. If you're on a phone, you can still get to your program. If you buy a new computer, you don't need to re-install a new copy of your app because it's already installed on a server. If that server ever goes out, the hosting company has a backup copy that can be swapped in as needed. That's called a redundant server, and it's all taken care of by the hosting company. It's pretty great.
So, cloud computing isn't a new technology, per se. It's just a new way of using servers. In a nutshell, when we run a software from a server, that's cloud computing.
Some software is built to be installed on a desktop computer. However, this software can be installed on a server that's running an operating system, like Windows. It runs just like it would on your home computer, but now it can be accessed through the internet. This approach is known as cloud hosting.
Your on-premise software needs a traditional operating system, like Windows. However, you can setup a virtual machine (VM) on a server. A virtual machine is like a regular computer running an operating system, but it's installed on a server. By setting up a virtual machine, you can put all your on-premise programs online and access them from anywhere.
One great benefit of cloud hosting is that your operating system no longer matters. You can run Windows software from a Mac, or vice versa. As long as your server has the appropriate operating system, you can run whatever you want.
Another benefit is your data is backed up by the hosting company. If you're laptop falls into a volcano, or your phone drops into an orangutan enclosure, your data is still safe. It was never on those devices because it's stored on the server.
Cloud based applications are not built for Windows or Mac and then moved to a server. Instead, they're built for the internet from the very beginning. This helps it to run very efficiently.
Both types are hosted on a server. Cloud-based is written in a programming language that's meant for a server, while cloud-hosted is written for a regular computer and then adapted for a server. Because cloud-based is written with internet users in mind, the screen sizes are more easily adapted to fit various devices, like a tablet or a phone.
These programs are sometimes called cloud-native software, because they've always lived on a server.
When you install on-premise software, you pay for it upfront and it belongs to you. Cloud software is a little different though. It needs to be maintained on the server, and someone needs to be paid for that. This is why software has largely moved to a subscription model where you pay a monthly or annual fee to use it. This is known a software as a service.
A-Systems has been making accounting software for the construction industry since the early days of computing. This well-developed accounting system is available as either on-premise or cloud hosted.
If you're looking for a cloud-hosted accounting app for your construction business, take a look at A-Systems JobView.