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7 minutes read

What Is Cloud Application Development?

By Jonathan Tarud
Some team members looking at a group of computer servers.
By Jonathan Tarud
HiTech
7 minutes read

The world has seen an important increase in the demand for Cloud-based applications. This has in turn increased the demand for Cloud application development. As a result, the past few years have had a consolidation of the Cloud computing market. 

Cloud apps and services are used, directly or indirectly, by almost everyone. Businesses have also increased their use of Cloud-based applications and services, even if they sometimes don’t know it. If you use SaaS tools, you are surely using a Cloud app. However, Cloud apps are more than just that.  

For many, Cloud apps are still a mystery — one that we plan to explain throughout this article. As an app development company, we know it is important for any business to properly make use of Cloud services. If you want to understand what Cloud computing and Cloud application development are, how your company can benefit from them, or even if you just want examples of Cloud apps, this article is for you. 

What Is the ‘Cloud’?

The ‘Cloud’ refers to HiTech computing services that travel over the internet to some servers in different locations. This IT infrastructure is usually managed by a third party that charges a fee in exchange for computing power and other cloud-based services. In general, Cloud services allow companies to hire the computing power they need in a flexible way and without having to directly own or manage the IT infrastructure themselves. 

This technology and its associated services have been gaining popularity because of the benefits they bring. Thanks to fast internet connections and efficient computers, it is now possible to make information move fast enough to have Cloud-based apps that feel almost like the computing action occurred natively in the device. Thanks to 5G connections, Cloud computing is almost resembling Edge computing, helping develop better and more powerful IoT systems.

Thanks to reduced latency, it is possible to transfer information fast enough from one place to another in such a way that no delay is felt by the user. Latency is the delay that occurs between the action of a user and an app’s response. Reduced latency allows for more real-time and fast-response apps, opening up all sorts of possibilities for businesses through better software

The Cloud market has become more important for a variety of industries throughout 2020 due to the increased use of tools like Zoom and Google Meet, which are used by individuals and remote-ready companies alike, but also to Software as a Service (SaaS) apps like Netflix and Spotify which are used by people all over the world. 

By avoiding the need to own, manage, and configure their own IT infrastructure through outsourcing, companies can focus on their core purpose. This has been a game-changer for many software-based companies and their IT-dependent business models. 

What Is a ‘Cloud-Based Application’?

Cloud-based applications, also known as Cloud apps, seem to be taking over. In theory, a Cloud app is one that uses Cloud-based services. So, whether an app is mobile or web, they probably use some sort of Cloud service. What really differentiates a Cloud app from a native one is the extent to which they use Cloud services. 

Increased dependence on the Cloud’s processing power is the result of companies building innovative and creative solutions to all sorts of problems that use technology to do things that were previously impossible. Thanks to the ability to process large amounts of data (Big Data) through third-party-owned IT infrastructure, companies can perform massive calculations and deliver top services.

In particular, Cloud services have opened up the possibility for many web-based Cloud applications, also known as web apps. A web app is one where most of the computation occurs in the Cloud, not on the device itself, and is usually built with the use of Cloud application development services. A new form of a web app, known as a Progressive Web App (PWA), is also seeing an increase in popularity. 

Benefits of a Cloud App

Cloud application development offers various benefits for businesses that wish to use technology to solve a problem. Some of the benefits are:

  • Improved app performance: as more computations are performed on the server side of an app, users will experience a faster and more reliable service.
  • Increased uptime: thanks to the reliability of Cloud services, a Cloud-based application will remain up easier than through your own IT infrastructure.
  • Scalability: businesses can hire on-demand the processing power they need, being this very convenient for moments of high computer processing demand.
  • Update software easily: through Cloud technologies, it is possible to update an app easily through a massive deployment.
  • Security: Cloud services help reduce the risk of physical IT infrastructure failure.   

Cloud Application Development: Developing Applications for the Cloud

Cloud application development is the process through which a Cloud-based app is built. It involves different stages of software development, each of which prepares your app to go live and hit the market. The best Cloud app development teams use  SecOps, DevOps practices and tools like Kubernetes. However, an experienced app development company should ideally be technology agnostic, which means being able to build your Cloud app using any technology you prefer. Most apps built using the Cloud are highly dependent on the Cloud to operate. 

Application development on Cloud infrastructure allows web and PWA development services to reduce development costs, opens up the possibility to work with remote teams, and reduces project times if used correctly with software development methodologies like Agile. However, not all companies are experienced enough to perform many complex aspects of the app development process using the Cloud. Businesses looking to develop digital products like web-based Cloud applications need to make sure that they work with a trusted Cloud-experienced app development company

Although some businesses have their own Cloud development teams, most will hire an app development company with experience in Cloud services. A great way to verify an app development company’s experience with the Cloud is through certifications like AWS or Google Certification. Koombea, for example, is a certified AWS partner

Cloud Application Example

Many of the apps we use on a day-to-day basis use the Cloud in one way or another. Cloud application development has resulted in amazing tools and services like:

  • Miro: a virtual board where you can work with other users in a number of fun and creative ways. 
  • Figma or Lunacy: a powerful Cloud-based design app that is gaining many fans thanks to its collaborative nature. 
  • Dropbox or >Google Drive: easily store your files on the Cloud and make them available for others, wherever they are. 
  • Flipsnack: flipbook animation software where users can create realistic page flip animations without any effort.

Collaboration is one element that stands out from most Cloud-based apps. Although there are other important ones, the possibility to collaborate with users from all over the world, even in real-time, is one major advantage of Cloud apps.

How to Develop a Cloud Application

Thanks to app development services, it is now possible for all sorts of businesses to develop a Cloud-based application. At Koombea, we’ve been building Cloud applications for companies throughout different industries, always helping our clients understand their business model and how it can make use efficiently of the Cloud to maximize their goals. 

Through our DevOps best practices, we are prepared to help you with your Cloud application development project, always in a secure and timely manner. Contact us for a free consultation and find out more about how we can bring your ideas to life through our HiTech services

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