Category Archives: Cloud Hosting

Italy could be the next country to receive a billion-dollar AWS boost – TechRadar

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is reportedly in discussions with the Italian government about a significant investment aimed at expanding its data center operations in the country.

According to Reuters, The rumored 10-figure deal would see the company expand its cloud computing infrastructure in the country to fuel the continued AI growth.

As with other similar moves, the deal will likely also comprise other aspects designed to support the country and its citizens, such as training and upskilling efforts as well as local employment opportunities.

AWS already has a cloud region in Italy, counting clients such as Ferrari and Assicurazioni Generali on its books. With the likely upcoming investment, AWS will be hoping to attract even more customers thanks to more European-centric infrastructure.

AWSs Italy investment comes amid a broader push to expand its European operations. A colossal $17 billion deal was recently announced in Spain, and a further $8.5 has been committed to expanding infrastructure in Germany.

Amazons focus on building data centers that meet EU data privacy regulations are a clear effort to pacify not only customers, but antitrust regulators on the continent. Its recent Germany investment will fuel the early stages of the cloud giants European sovereign cloud efforts.

Accounting for around one-third of the market (the same amount as Microsoft and Google combined), Amazon Web Services has been on somewhat of a spending spree in recent months thanks to a resurging cloud market and heightened interest in artificial intelligence.

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Recent Synergy figures support this trend, highlighting the 21% yearly growth thats being measured across the cloud market, which is now worth an annualized sum of $300 billion as per the most recent quarters figures.

Amazon declined to comment.

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Italy could be the next country to receive a billion-dollar AWS boost - TechRadar

The Ticketmaster Data Breach May Be Just the Beginning – WIRED

One of the biggest hacks of the year may have started to unfold. Late on Friday, embattled events business Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, confirmed it suffered a data breach after criminal hackers claimed to be selling half a billion customer records online. Banking firm Santander also confirmed it had suffered a data breach impacting millions of customers and staff after its data was advertised by the same group of hackers.

While the specific circumstances of the breachesincluding exactly what information was stolen and how it was accessedremain unclear, the incidents may be linked to attacks against company accounts with cloud hosting provider Snowflake. The US-based cloud firm has thousands of customers, including Adobe, Canva, and Mastercard, which can store and analyze vast amounts of data in its systems.

Security experts say that as more details become clear about hackers' attempts to access and take data from Snowflakes systems, it is possible that other companies will reveal they had data stolen. At present, though, the developing situation is messy and complicated.

Snowflake recently observed and is investigating an increase in cyber threat activity targeting some of our customers accounts, wrote Brad Jones, Snowflakes chief information security officer in a blog post acknowledging the cybersecurity incident on Friday. Snowflake has found a limited number of customer accounts that have been targeted by hackers who obtained their login credentials to the companys systems, Jones wrote. Snowflake also found one former staff members demo account that had been accessed.

However, Snowflake doesnt believe it was the source of any leaked customer credentials, the post says. We have no evidence suggesting this activity was caused by any vulnerability, misconfiguration, or breach of Snowflakes product, Jones wrote in the blog post.

While the number of Snowflake accounts accessed and what data may have been taken have not been released, government officials are warning about the impact of the attack. Australias Cyber Security Center issued a high alert on Saturday, saying it is aware of successful compromises of several companies utilizing Snowflake environments and companies using Snowflake should reset their account credentials, turn on multifactor authentication, and review user activity.

It looks like Snowflake has had some rather egregiously bad security compromise, security researcher Troy Hunt, who runs data breach notification website Have I Been Pwned, tells WIRED. It being a provider to many other different parties, it has sort of bubbled up to different data breaches in different locations.

Details of the data breaches started to emerge on May 27. A newly registered account on cybercrime forum Exploit posted an advertisement where they claimed to be selling 1.3 TB of Ticketmaster data, including more than 560 million peoples information. The hacker claimed to have names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, some credit card details, ticket sales, order details, and more. They asked for $500,000 for the database.

One day later, the established hacking group ShinyHunterswhich first emerged in 2020 with a data-stealing rampage, before selling 70 million AT&T records in 2021posted the exact same Ticketmaster ad on rival marketplace BreachForums. At the time, Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation had not confirmed any data theft and it was unclear if either post selling the data was legitimate.

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The Ticketmaster Data Breach May Be Just the Beginning - WIRED

Top 10 Cloud Hosting Providers in 2024: Plans, Prices, and Key Factors – mitechnews.com

In todays quickly changing online business environment, picking the right cloud hosting provider is key to making sure your website runs smoothly, stays secure, and can grow with your needs. As we move deeper into 2024, its more important than ever to know what the best hosting options are. This article will guide you through the top 10 cloud hosting providers, explaining their various plans and pricing. Well also outline seven critical factors you should consider when choosing a provider, ensuring that you make a well-informed decision.

Additionally, well address some of the most common questions about cloud hosting to help clear up any uncertainties and equip you with the knowledge to choose the best hosting service for your website.

Cloud hosting providers are companies that offer cloud computing services, allowing individuals and businesses to host their websites, applications, and data in a virtual environment. Instead of relying on a single physical server, cloud hosting distributes resources across multiple servers, providing scalability, flexibility, and reliability.

Cloud hosting providers work by offering cloud hosting plans that cater to various needs and budgets. These plans typically include:

When you sign up for a cloud hosting plan, your website or application is hosted on a network of virtual servers. This allows you to:

Cloud hosting providers offer various plans to suit different requirements. Some common types of cloud hosting plans include:

Overview: At the forefront of cloud hosting, Elementor Cloud Hosting is specifically optimized for users of Elementors Website Builder. It combines the flexibility of WordPress with the simplicity of a hosted website builder.

Plans:

Standard Plan: $99/yearIncludes hosting for 1 WordPress website, 100 GB bandwidth, an SSL certificate, and 20 GB storage.

Pros: Seamless integration with Elementor, excellent customer support, easy to use.

Cons: Limited to WordPress, might be restrictive for non-Elementor users.

Overview: AWS offers a comprehensive, evolving cloud computing environment, making it ideal for businesses of all sizes.

Plans:

Pros: Extensively scalable reliable.

Cons: Can be complex to configure, potentially high costs.

Overview: Known for high computing offerings, Google Cloud Platform provides services that scale with your business needs.

Plans:

Pros: Highly innovative, excellent data analytics capabilities.

Cons: Pricing can be less predictable due to variable costs.

Overview: Azure offers an extensive set of cloud services, including AI, Internet of Things (IoT), and more.

Plans:

Pros: Wide range of services and hybrid cloud capabilities.

Cons: It can be overwhelming for beginners.

Overview: DigitalOcean simplifies cloud services for small businesses and startups.

Plans:

Pros: User-friendly, cost-effective.

Cons: Limited advanced configurations for large enterprises.

Overview: Ideal for small to medium-sized businesses, Bluehost is known for its WordPress-centric cloud solutions.

Plans:

Pros: Strong integration with WordPress.

Cons: Customer support can vary.

Overview: Focused on providing managed services, SiteGround is renowned for its customer service and user-friendly managed hosting solutions.

Plans:

Pros: Excellent customer service and high-performance technologies.

Cons: Limited data storage on lower plans.

Overview: HostGator offers a variety of hosting solutions, including scalable cloud hosting for growing businesses.

Plans:

Pros: Budget-friendly, good for beginners.

Cons: Performance can be inconsistent during peak times.

Overview: IBM Cloud is designed for enterprises needing robust cloud solutions with a focus on AI and machine learning.

Plans:

Pros: Strong focus on AI and hybrid deployments.

Cons: Complex pricing structure.

Overview: Known for its speed and reliability, A2 Hosting provides scalable hosting solutions that grow with your needs.

Plans:

Pros: Fast server speeds, excellent customer service.

Cons: Renewal rates can be high.

Ensures your website loads quickly, providing a better user experience.

Example: A cloud hosting provider with high-performance computing and storage solutions ensures fast loading times for your website.

Looks for providers with high uptime guarantees, ensuring your website is always available.

Example: A provider offering a 99.99% uptime guarantee ensures your website is always accessible to users.

Selects services that grow with your business, adapting to changing demands.

Example: A scalable cloud hosting plan allows you to quickly scale up or down to match changing traffic or demand.

Prioritizes providers offering robust security measures, protecting your website and data.

Example: A provider with advanced security features, including encryption, firewalls, and access controls, safeguards your website and data.

Considers the availability of responsive and knowledgeable support, helping you resolve issues quickly.

Example: 24/7 support from expert engineers ensures you receive help when you need it.

Evaluates whether the pricing is transparent and predictable, avoiding unexpected costs.

Example: A simple and transparent pricing structure, with no surprise costs or overages, helps you budget effectively.

Checks compatibility with essential tools and services, like a website builder.

Example: Seamless integration with a website builder allows you to build and host high-performance websites with ease.

When choosing a cloud hosting provider, consider these factors to ensure you select the best fit for your website or application.

Selecting the right cloud hosting provider is a crucial decision that can significantly influence the performance and success of your website. Each option listed offers unique benefits, tailored to meet various needs and preferences. However, for those specifically using Elementor, a popular choice among page builders, Elementor Cloud Hosting is particularly compelling. Its not just another cloud hosting service; its a tailored solution that enhances the experience of using Elementor as a Website Builder.

This specialized hosting optimizes the integration of Elementor, ensuring that your website not only runs smoothly but also leverages the full range of design capabilities offered by Elementor. The combination of Elementors powerful design tools with robust, reliable hosting makes Elementor Cloud Hosting an ideal choice for anyone looking to create a professional and highly functional website. It simplifies the technical aspects of running a website, allowing you to focus more on creativity and less on backend management. For those seeking an effective and efficient website creation experience, Elementor Cloud Hosting stands out as the top choice in 2024.

Cloud hosting services provide hosting on virtual servers which pull their computing resources from extensive underlying networks of physical web servers.

Unlike traditional hosting, where your site is hosted on a single server, cloud hosting spreads your data across multiple, interconnected servers located across a wide geographic area. This ensures greater flexibility and scalability.

Elementor Cloud Hosting offers optimized server environments specifically for Elementors Website Builder, ensuring enhanced performance, security, and support for websites built with Elementor.

Yes, one of the major advantages of cloud hosting is its ability to manage high levels of traffic efficiently. It allows for easy scalability to accommodate traffic spikes without compromising website performance.

When choosing a cloud hosting provider, consider factors such as uptime, customer support, scalability options, security features, and compatibility with your websites design tools.

Cloud hosting can offer superior security measures compared to traditional hosting, due to its distributed nature. However, the actual security level depends on the specific technologies and protocols the provider uses.

Scalability in cloud hosting involves adjusting the allocated resources based on your websites changing demands. This can typically be done without downtime, providing a seamless experience for your website visitors.

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Top 10 Cloud Hosting Providers in 2024: Plans, Prices, and Key Factors - mitechnews.com

Cloud Computing Market CAGR to be at 15.4% | $2283.40 billion Industry Revenue By 2032 – openPR

Cloud Computing Market

:

Cloud computing is the usage of hosted services on the Internet, including data storage, servers, databases, networking, and software. The data is stored on physical servers managed by a cloud service provider. Cloud computing makes computer system resources, particularly data storage and computational power, available on demand without the user's direct management. Instead of saving files on a storage device or hard drive, a user can save them to the cloud, allowing them to be accessed from any location as long as they have internet access.

: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/cloud-computing-market/request-for-sample

:

Increased returns on assets with lower storehouse and infrastructure expenses are pushing the industry around the world because the maintenance price of hosting data and performance on a venue such as on-premises is one of the top concerns among organizations.

Emerging economies are additionally leaning toward shadow computing due to expense savings and the introduction of cloud computing products into the market portfolio, which will soon drive market demand for cloud computing.

:

Here is the list of the leading companies operating in the cloud computing market: Adobe Inc. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Amazon.com Inc. CenturyLink DigitalOcean DXC Technology Fujitsu Google LLC Infor International Business Machines Corporation Joyent Microsoft Corporation NEC Corporation Open Text Corporation Oracle Corporation OVHcloud Rackspace Technology Salesforce.com Inc. SAP SE Skytap Tencent Virtustream VMware Inc. Workday Inc. Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd.

: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/buy/788/2

: North America (U.S., Canada) Europe (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, UK) Asia Pacific (China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea) Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Mexico) Middle East & Africa (Israel, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UAE)

:

The market is mainly segmented by service, deployment, enterprise size, end-use, and region. According to development research, the private deployment segment held the dominant position in the global market. This is primarily due to factors such as private cloud computing exclusively presenting computing services in a private internal network, as well as being only accessible to selected users rather than the general public.

Furthermore, according to the end-user analysis in BFSI segment retained the largest share in the cloud computing market due to the increasing usage of cloud computing services for storage and customer data management.

: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/cloud-computing-market

:

: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/telestroke-services-market : https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/meniscus-repair-systems-market : https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/acupuncture-needles-market : https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/population-screening-market : https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/neuroprosthetics-market

: Polaris Market Research Phone: +1-929-297-9727 Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.com

: Polaris Market Research is a worldwide market research and consulting organization. We give unmatched nature of offering to our customers present all around the globe across industry verticals. Polaris Market Research has expertise in giving deep-dive market insight along with market intelligence to our customers spread crosswise over various undertakings. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our different client base present over the enterprises of medicinal services, healthcare, innovation, next-gen technologies, semi-conductors, chemicals, automotive, and aerospace & defence, among different ventures present globally.

This release was published on openPR.

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Cloud Computing Market CAGR to be at 15.4% | $2283.40 billion Industry Revenue By 2032 - openPR

DISA looks to offer multi-cloud capabilities at the tactical edge – DefenseScoop

The Defense Information Systems Agency has been a driving force in supporting the militarys efforts to enhance warfighting capabilities by hosting and leveraging cloud computing services. Those efforts lie at the heart of DISAs broader strategic initiatives, outlined in the agencys just-released 2025-2029 National Defense Strategy. Among other goals, DISA is working to operationalize its hybrid cloud environment further and expand capabilities to warfighters operating at the network edge.

Sharon Woods, who headed DISAs J9 Hosting and Compute operations before being appointed to lead DISAs J6 Endpoint and Global Services Directorate, shared her insights about the direction of the agencys cloud efforts during a recent video panel interview for DefenseScoop.

One of the driving forces propelling DISAs cloud efforts is the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) initiative. The initiative aims to increase cloud capabilities to support warfighters and their combatant commands by harnessing a combination of secure, DOD-authorized cloud services provided by four leading cloud providers: Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle.

One of our key philosophies is optionality for our customers and bringing to bear the best of what each of the cloud vendors has because they all have different strengths and weaknesses, said Woods. A key focus of that effort involves bringing data applications closer to the user. She said that starts with reducing latency but also making access to and use of capabilities easier, with initiatives such as DOD Olympus.

With DOD Olympus, were removing some of the burden taking away some of those repetitive activities and offering an environment so that a mission owner can just come in and put their application in there, Wood said.

Scott Frohman, DOD Programs Lead with Google Public Sector, echoed Woods emphasis on making cloud services operate consistently across different environments.

Its really important that these services be the same whether youre in a JWCC data center using Google services or youre in an OCONUS cloud at a base whether its stood up by a cloud service provider or by the government, or even at the edge on a tactical edge device, he stressed.

He also made the case that the pace of innovation by cloud providers makes it all the more important for agencies like DISA to partner with industry leaders early in the development process.

The [projects] that have been most successful are where the Department brings us in, consults with us early to understand some of the more complex topics that are more akin to industry and not necessarily warfighting, he added.

Both Woods and Frohman acknowledged the challenges of bringing cloud capabilities where theyre needed, given the militarys remote and complex operating conditions.

I think one of the biggest challenges is that there are all these different capabilities available, Woods said. You have private cloud, you have commercial cloud, you have edge compute and a lot of customers are left with the question of, Well, where do I start? There are all these different cloud environments. How do I get my application into that environment?

Thats in part whats driving the development of DOD Olympus, she said.

When you have to put an application into the cloud, there are a bunch of things you have to do, no matter what network connectivity you have, to have remote management for your administrators. You have mission owners, especially smaller mission owners or mission owners that may not have a lot of cloud conversion [experience], and they have to figure all this out.

She said DISA wants to remove that burden by setting up that platform for end users, both on a self-service and managed service basis. That all goes back to optionality of really being able to meet the customer where they are.

Looking further ahead, Woods also discussed DISAs focus on pushing cloud capabilities to the tactical edge through initiatives like the Joint Operational Edge Cloud (JOE Cloud), which leverages commercial cloud vendor technology in DISA data centers worldwide.

One of the key things that it does is take the power of commercial cloud and bring it out to where the user is. So that the application and the data are closer to the user. It starts reducing latency. It improves the user experience. And it lets you capitalize on the power of the cloud, she explained

Frohman, speaking more broadly, highlighted the need for openness and interoperability among cloud providers, especially for defense and civilian agencies operating globally, to ensure seamless integration, cross-platform security and system resilience.

Its important that we enable that interoperability using common standards, whether its container orchestration or a data format, or simply the architectural design of a mission system, he said.

The one challenge that I would say is important to solve is having a highly available infrastructure, one thats produced by industry, so that the cost, availability, and performance are there with what commercial industry and consumers get. And one thats consistent across form factors, and that works when persistently disconnected from the home base or from the commercial Internet, not one that has to phone home or has to be connected to some other system thats truly survivable, he said.

Listen to the full discussion and learn more about unleashing the power of edge computing.

This video panel discussion was produced by Scoop News Group for DefenseScoop and underwritten by Google for Government.

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DISA looks to offer multi-cloud capabilities at the tactical edge - DefenseScoop

Top cloud storage platforms hijacked to host malware make sure that Google Drive or Dropbox link is safe – TechRadar

A new hacking campaign has been spotted in which the attackers are abusing legitimate cloud storage services to host malicious payloads.

In a research report, Securonix said that the campaign starts with a phishing email containing a .ZIP archive. When unzipped, the archive delivers an executable file that was made to look like an Excel file. The file uses a hidden left-to-right override (RLO) Unicode character, reversing the order of the characters that follow.

So, instead of seeing the file name as RFQ-101432620247fl*U+202E*xslx.exe, the victims will see RFQ-101432620247flexe.xlsx and can thus be tricked into thinking theyre opening a spreadsheet file.

The .ZIP archive comes with a couple of additional scripts to make the entire campaign seem more authentic, but the main .exe file will trigger a multi-stage deployment action that concludes with two PowerShell scripts hosted on Dropbox and Google Drive.

"The late-stage PowerShell script zz.ps1 has functionality to download files from Google Drive based on specific criteria and save them to a specified path on the local system inside the ProgramData directory," the researchers said.

This is not the first time hackers were observed abusing cloud services to host malware, or run malicious campaigns in general.

For example, Google Docs, Googles cloud-based word processor, has the ability to share files with other people via email, using Googles infrastructure. Hackers were abusing this fact to bypass spam protections and get malicious emails to land directly into peoples inboxes. Other services, such as DocuSign, Sharepoint, GitHub, and many others.

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In fact, according to Netskopes report published two years ago, cloud applications were the number one distributor of malware in 2021.

Securonix dubbed this latest campaign CLOUD#REVERSER. We dont know how many victims it affects.

Via The Hacker News

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Top cloud storage platforms hijacked to host malware make sure that Google Drive or Dropbox link is safe - TechRadar

AWS’s 7.8B ‘sovereign cloud’ to hit Germany by 2025 – CloudTech News

AWS has revealed its first sovereign cloud region, which will be based in Brandenburg, Germany, is due to be operational by the end of 2025.

It is hoped the development willstrengthen data residency across Europe, with the cloud provider investing more than 7.8bn (6.7bn) through 2040.

Timed perfectly with the AWS Summit Berlin, which is taking place right now in the German capital, this announcement follows up on AWSs initial reveal seven months ago about their sovereign cloud plans, showing a deep dedication to data control and digital sovereignty in Europe.

AWS is not only enhancing its infrastructure but also expanding its workforce in Europe with new high-skilled roles for software engineers, systems developers, and solutions architects. This move is integral to AWSs commitment to manage all operations of the European Sovereign Cloud exclusively through EU-based personnel, which includes managing data centres, providing technical support, and handling customer service.

For more than a decade, Amazon has invested heavily in the European market, contributing over 150 billion and employing over 150,000 people permanently in the European Single Market. The launch of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud stands as proof of Amazons enduring commitment to Europes digital advancement.

Max Peterson, AWSs VP of Sovereign Cloud, highlighted that this investment aims to provide customers with cutting-edge sovereignty controls, privacy measures, and security features in the cloud.

Wereinvesting heavily in new local talent and infrastructure, which will help provide the operational sovereignty our customers require, Peterson stated. This is an exciting milestone, andwerelooking forward tothe ways thatour customers and partners across Europe will drive further innovation with the AWS European Sovereign Cloud.

In Germany, AWS is also engaging with local communities through long-term, innovative programs that aim to have a sustainable impact in regions hosting its infrastructure. The focus is on developing cloud workforce and educational initiatives for learners of all ages, bridging the skills gap, and preparing for future tech jobs.

For example, consider last years collaboration between AWS and Siemens AG, which established the first apprenticeship program for AWS data centers in Germany. This program and the introduction of the first national cloud computing certification by the German Chamber of Commerce (DIHK) and the AWS Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance highlight AWSs ongoing commitment to education and workforce training.

On another note,O2 Telefnicas partnership with Nokia to deploy 5G standalone core software on AWSmarks a significant milestone in the telecommunications sector. Its the first time an existing mobile operator has transitioned its core network operations to a public cloud.

While AWS has long provided localised data storage and processing options in Europe, public sector bodies and organisations in highly regulated industries have been cautious about moving to the public cloud due to data management concerns. To address these issues, the AWS European Sovereign Cloud offers stricter data controls, ensuring that all metadata remains within the EU and is inaccessible to AWS employees outside the bloc.

This physically and logically separate cloud environment represents a shift from AWSs initial stance on the sovereign cloud concept, which was once dismissed as more of a marketing term.

However, AWSs recent digital sovereignty pledge solidifies its commitment to offering customers more control and choices to meet their unique digital sovereignty needs without compromising the full capabilities of AWS.

Check out the upcomingCloud Transformation Conference, a free virtual event for business and technology leaders to explore the evolving landscape of cloud transformation.Book your free virtual ticket to deep dive into the practicalities and opportunities surrounding cloud adoption.Learn more here.

Tags: AWS, cloud, data centre, sovereign cloud

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AWS's 7.8B 'sovereign cloud' to hit Germany by 2025 - CloudTech News

Ahrefs Joins Others in Suggesting That On-Premises Hosting Can Be More Cost Effective than Cloud – InfoQ.com

A recent article claims that Ahrefs, an SEO software suite company, was able to prevent $400 million in expenditures over three years by not leveraging cloud resources. Similarly, 37Signals, the makers of Basecamp, has begun a cloud exodus with the stated goal of saving seven million dollars in infrastructure costs over five years.

Efim Mirochnik, global DC lead for Ahrefs, explains that Ahrefs currently hosts on-premises within a data center located in Singapore. Mirochnik states that "Ahrefs has spent $122 million to support its on-premise infrastructure since 2017". Mirochnik then projects what the equivalent EC2-based infrastructure within AWS would cost. Two projections were made, one using on-demand resources, and one using three-year reserved instances paid all-upfront.

This projection indicates a potential spend (accumulated since 2017) within AWS of over one billion dollars as compared to the on-premises infrastructure being approximately ten times cheaper.

Reactions to the article were mixed with many claiming the author neglected to fully comprehend the total cost of ownership (TCO) of running on-premises. User serverhorror on Reddit expressed that:

For most people: they'll never have the, even the basic features, AWS provides out of the box (and if you don't need them it's absolutely fine to not pay for them by going to your own DC or just rent a rack).

User weehoey raised a warning to ensure that only the applicable benefits of investing in the cloud are weighed:

You are right that AWS provides a massive number of features. Features are not business outcomes. [..] Only the features that provide benefit given your use case matter.

However, many instead called out that the cloud is not always cheaper and each company must review their own use cases carefully. User jippen on Reddit shared this sentiment:

This article is super reductive, looks at two data points and extrapolates the world from it. Just because these were good decisions for your business doesn't mean they're good decisions for every business at every level of scale.

David Heinemeier Hansson, CTO at 37signals, shared a similar story to Ahrefs. Hansson predicts that 37signals stands to save approximately seven million dollars over five years by exiting the cloud and moving to on-premises hosting.

Adam Jacobs, CEO at System Initiative, shared on X that Hansson's assessment:

Makes complete sense to me that these numbers pencil out like this. In many ways, were paying for having forgotten how to rack compute, manage operating systems, and run networks.

Forrest Brazeal expands upon the idea that each company must assess the appropriate approach for their use cases and expertise. Brazeal explains that "not every company runs at Google scale, not every company has the competence (high) or growth aspirations (low) of 37signals". To elaborate on this point, Brazeal sketched a matrix to assess if the cloud or self-hosting would be a better choice.

User Indifferentchildren expressed a similar sentiment on Reddit: "Cloud is great for scaling, and cold-standby DR, but if you have decent-sized continuous loads, cloud can be a really expensive option."

The 2024 State of FinOps survey found that waste and cost reduction is now the highest priority with engineering enablement moving down the rankings. A recent CNCF microsurvey on FinOps found that Kubernetes usage has driven cloud spending up for 49% of respondents with the primary driver being overprovisioning.

The theme of Werner Vogels's 2023 AWS re:Invent keynote was frugality. Vogels outlined seven laws for frugal architectures and posited that cost should be viewed as a non-functional requirement when building.

With many businesses looking for ways to reduce costs and improve profits, there will be a continued focus on efficiently built infrastructures. As Kelsey Hightower highlights:

It might just turn out that the cloud was the best way to research and design better ways of managing our systems, and thanks to the open source community standardizing the APIs on top, we might finally have the blueprints we need to close the gap on-prem.

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Ahrefs Joins Others in Suggesting That On-Premises Hosting Can Be More Cost Effective than Cloud - InfoQ.com

The best web hosting services of 2024: Expert tested – ZDNet

GoDaddy has made a business of offering as wide an array of services as possible for individuals and small businesses in need of an internet presence. It's widely known, and many customers enjoy the service.

Pricing begins at $5.99/month for one website. With specific plans, you may be eligible for a free domain name and SSL certificate. Regarding security, automatic WordPress updates are applied and malware scanning services are available. Each plan comes with a one-click WordPress installation, a cPanel, and daily backups.

Review:GoDaddy: A no muss, no fuss website-building service

Customer service is reasonable, and, although not 24/7, if you need a technical lead to get something accomplished, you can usually find someone with a clue (after jumping through a few hoops, of course). However, the refund policy is restrictive and I would say the host's website is cluttered, making it difficult to find exactly what service you need -- and for what price.

ZDNET author David Gewirtz has decades of experience with GoDaddy, and he has come to respect how this web host provides the key services most customers want. They're definitely not the best at anything, but they do a good job with almost everything.

"GoDaddy, in my opinion, is the best web host," Gerrid Smith, director of E-commerce ofJoy Organics, told ZDNET. "They promise a minimum of 99.9% availability. To prevent malicious activities and repel DDoS attacks, their security team works around the clock."

GoDaddy features:cPanel: Some plans |SSL: Some plans |SSH: Some plans |Backups: Some plans |Money-back guarantee: 30 days for annual plans, 48 hours for monthly plans |Support: 24/7/365 US-based ticket and phone

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The best web hosting services of 2024: Expert tested - ZDNet

Microsoft’s next big cloud and AI investment is pouring billions of Euros into France – TechRadar

Tech giant Microsoft has declared its intention to invest a massive 4 billion ($4.3 billion) in France as part of the countrys Choose France initiative.

Company VC and President Brad Smith confirmed the news in an exclusive interview with Le Figaro.

Microsoft joins the likes of AWS, which has unveiled plans to invest 1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) into the countrys AI scene, though Redmonds hefty investment represents more than one-quarter of the countrys anticipated 15 billion ($16.3 billion) in investments coinciding with the event.

The majority of the investment will be channeled into the blossoming artificial intelligence sector in the country, with plans to establish a leading data center in Mulhouse, near the countrys eastern border with Germany and Switzerland.

Microsofts multibillion-dollar cash injection will run over the course of three years and will fund infrastructure, training for French citizens and support for the countrys AI startups.

Over the course of the past couple of years, France has secured itself a position as the top choice for many artificial companies and startups thanks to its strong research foundations, government support initiatives and strategic location.

French startup Mistral AI has already been supported by Microsoft, having received a 15 million ($16.2 million) investment as part of a partnership between the two firms.

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The companys sizeable investment, clearly appreciated by the countrys AI and cloud computing sector, isnt without an opposing view, though.

Microsoft is under mounting pressure in France and the EU over its unfair business practices that have led it to snap up a significant share of the market. Frances own cloud companies formed part of a group of firms tackling Redmonds dominance.

Besides this being a routine investment, just like a number of other major companies during the Choose France event, many are speculating whether Microsofts 4 billion sum could be an effort to pacify antitrust regulators.

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Microsoft's next big cloud and AI investment is pouring billions of Euros into France - TechRadar