We live in a digitally-dominated period. Social interactions and even the use of products and services have migrated to the virtual environment, providing convenience and especially data. To this end, cloud computing aims to maintain and store services, systems, and resources available on the internet.
In an age when data is constantly being created and shared, companies are now facing two problems: how do they store it and keep it secure?
The combination of cloud computing and biometrics offers several options for companies to save costs and time by strengthening identification in a digital environment.
In this article you will understand what it is and what the main advantages of cloud computing and biometrics are.
What is Cloud Computing?
Through the ISO/IEC 17788:2015 standard, ABNT defines Cloud Computing as: "[...] a paradigm for enabling network access to a scalable and elastic group of physical or virtual resources, with self-provisioning and administration on demand".
To make it simple, cloud services are nothing more than hardware and software applications and resources made available by companies that specialized in large-scale hosting. They can be shared, upon payment, with partners and customers in a fast, automatic, and customizable way over the Internet.
Anyone with internet access can use the resources based on Cloud Computing. For this reason, resources that are present in the daily life of thousands of people are offered in this format of solution, such as cloud storage for operating systems.
But how does it work?
That is what I am going to explain to you right now.
How to use cloud computing
To understand how to use cloud computing in everyday life you need to know the types available, which can be used by both home users and companies.
Cloud resources are categorized into service models. It is a way of measuring the level of control that the user has over the resources that are made available by the provider.
Learn about the most commonly used models.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
The SaaS (Software as a Service) model works when a cloud computing provider offers a fully managed application or software accessible over the Internet.
In SaaS, the computing resources responsible for hosting the service are entirely under the control of the provider. Thus, the customer is only responsible for using the application.
If you use a free email service like Gmail or Outlook, you use SaaS in your day-to-day life.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
PaaS (Platform as a Service) is suitable for cases where the user needs customized cloud features, such as:
- Container manager.
- Storage space.
- Running a database.
These resources can be customized without the pain of managing servers and the infrastructure needed to support an application.
In this model, the provider manages all the infrastructure needed to run an application and the customer is responsible for resource configuration and data management.
In PaaS it is very common to find application and database hosting systems.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
IaaS is the model where the user has more control over the resources used in the cloud. It is used by enterprises that want to move local resources to the cloud with little or no friction between services.
In IaaS, the provider delivers basic infrastructure resources such as virtual servers, storage equipment (such as virtual hard drives), and networking. The customer is responsible for maintaining the entire environment.
How much it costs to implement cloud computing
Just as there are free resources that can be used by anyone such as social media and shared streaming services, there are also paid resources. This is one of the advantages offered by the cloud: flexible payment models.
In general, there are resources charged in the cloud as they are used, that is, we pay exactly for what we use, the so-called pay as you go.
For example, cloud storage is paid for by the amount of space used, or a virtual machine is charged for the time it is on.
In this model, the client pays for the time he or she uses a service. It is very common to see resources charged per second of use in catalogs of services available in the cloud.
It is also possible to acquire cloud resources through subscriptions where a specific amount is set and can be charged in one or several monthly payments. This is an interesting model for those who do not want variations in the amounts paid or seek discounts for continuous use of cloud resources.
Another model available is the two-part tariff, where an initial amount is set with the expected usage of the cloud service. If usage exceeds that covered in the initial subscription, additional amounts may be charged according to consumption.
This is a very flexible model, combining the economy and price stability of a subscription model with the agility and growth capability of pay as you go.
Now let's understand how to combine biometrics and cloud with the Biometrics as a Service (BaaS) model.
Biometrics as a Service (BaaS)
BaaS is known for being scalable by following the "pay as you grow" model. A scalable solution is cost-effective and less risky for organizations.
At first, adding biometrics into modern applications may seem extremely complex and full of digital barriers. However, Biometrics as a Service (BaaS) is cost-effective because it is faster and cheaper compared to other models.
In addition, there are many ways to identify a person from characteristics such as face shape, fingerprints, and iris traits, which are common forms of identification on the market.
Technologies that use biometric identifications range from high performance computing to artificial intelligence and machine learning.
In the last year, we have seen biometrics used in a wide variety of ways in technological solutions. Qatar, the country that hosted the World Cup, used facial recognition in a crowd to solve crimes, for example.
In Brazil, we have seen the use of biometrics entering people's lives in an irreversible way, whether in electoral elections, unlocking smartphones, or even in the entrance to gyms. Being able to easily implement biometrics in an application using BaaS can be the edge in the market that will drive your company forward.
Cloud Computing and Biometrics: Competitiveness for Business
Cloud Computing has completely revolutionized the application hosting market. Using it helps bring scalability and innovation to complex applications and business environments, you get access to the best of what information technology can offer with easy understanding and at affordable prices.
Instead of spending time, staff, and money on developing a new technology, you can simply use the resources of companies that are specialized in the particular market segment you are looking for.
Knowing how to choose the qualified cloud tools and providers to operationalize services, such as data center maintenance or creating biometric applications, is essential to staying competitive in today's market. In case you've read this far, take the opportunity to understand the main applications of cloud computing in education.
Translation: Thalita Ferreira
