Google Cloud Platform is a big name in the cloud services sector, taking a hefty share of the market just behind its main competitors, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.
If you’ve researched the Google Cloud Platform before, you’ll know that it offers a fairly long list of services, which makes unravelling its complexities challenging.
This post looks at the basics of GCP to help you compare providers before you make a decision.
What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services (hardware and software) over the internet. With an internet connection and access to these services, you can do anything from reading your emails to complex tasks like processing ‘Big Data’.
GCP meaning
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a cloud provider that offers a growing number of services for large corporations, small businesses, and individuals.
Google uses GCP to run some of its own services, such as Gmail, YouTube, and Google Search; additionally, millions of organisations globally use it to develop, test, and deploy their applications.
Google Cloud services – what’s on offer
The Google Cloud Platform offers a long list of services that would be impossible to cover in one short blog post.
The main services can be broken down into these categories:
1. Compute: These services allow users to deploy applications, websites, and backend services without the overhead of managing physical hardware.
2. Storage: Google’s large data centres offer storage capacity and resources to individuals, small businesses, and large corporates on a pay-as-you-go basis.
3. Networks: Networking refers to the infrastructure and services that enable communication between different resources, services, and users within Google Cloud and external networks.
4. Big Data: ‘Big Data’ refers to large and complex data sets that are difficult to manage and process using traditional methods. Google Cloud Platform provides the tools for users to analyse large datasets.
Developing a website or application on Google Cloud typically requires a mix of all these services to create the right infrastructure.
How much is Google Cloud Platform?
Google gives its users access to 20+ free services, but the catch is that you must sign up for a paid billing account or participate in the free trial.
New customers get $300 worth of free credits to run, test, and deploy projects. The pricing structure after that is pretty straightforward – you pay monthly for what you use, with no sign-up fees or cancellation charges.
Prices vary depending on the products (see Google’s price list for a detailed breakdown).
What are the pros and cons of GCP?
Google is a well-established and somewhat trusted name in cloud computing, which carries a lot of weight, but that doesn’t mean the system isn’t without its downsides.
Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of Google Cloud Platform.
The upsides to GCP
- Google’s offering is cost-effective. You pay for what you use – and you can increase your package at the press of a button. Need more power or storage? Upscaling your cloud package is easy with Google.
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP) has a wide range of security features to protect its customers’ data and applications.
- Google’s heavy investment in its data centres worldwide means it can offer high-speed processing power and performance (up to 10 Tbs of network speed, according to some estimates).
The downsides to GCP
- Vendor-lock-in is a real possibility with GCP. Switching to an alternative vendor can be challenging once you’re entrenched in the Google ecosystem.
- Google’s Cloud Platform can be difficult to operate if you don’t know what you’re doing (consider engaging an IT support agency for help).
Next steps
It would be impossible to do justice to the Google Cloud Platform in a short blog. For expert, impartial advice, contact the team at CloudTech24.
We have years of experience using Google (and its competitors) – let us help you determine if it’s the right fit for your business.
