Lesson video

Hi I'm Rebecca, your computing teacher for the IT and the world of work unit.

Now for this lesson, you're going to need a pen and paper so that you can answer the questions that I give you in this lesson, you're also going to need to make sure you remove as many distractions as possible so that you can really focus in this lesson.

Once you've got all that ready, we can begin.

In this lesson, you will assess the functions and features of cloud computing.

You'll justify the selection of communication platforms. You'll evaluate the security of using the cloud for storage and document or data creation.

So what is cloud computing? Cloud computing allows us to share resources, data and storage using a network of remote servers.

When you use cloud computing tools, your work is saved on remote servers rather than your own computer.

This means that you can access your data from anywhere in the world, as long as you have a stable internet connection.

So what I want you to do is decide which of these items are functions and which are features of cloud computing.

Pause the video while you think about that.

Brilliant, here's the solution then.

So this is the functions.

So you can tick that if you've got it right.

Software as a service.

Infrastructure as a service and platform as a service.

And then the next one was just all the other options.

So these are all the features, cost-effectiveness, easy access security, scalability, and on-demand self service.

So, what are the benefits of online software? So online software does not require installation onto local drives or servers.

It's cost-effective, you only pay for what you need and use.

Software is updated and maintained by the provider.

It's accessible anywhere and it offers direct access for anyone who needs to use it.

So what is local software then? Local software needs time to be installed on all computers.

Licences may be bought for staff who do not use all of the available software in the package.

It has to be maintained and updated by maintenance people.

And users must be using the computer on which the software is installed to use it.

So what is cloud storage? Files are stored on remote servers.

When you want to access the file or media, they are downloaded or streamed to your device.

Files or media can also be uploaded to the cloud for storage, which is useful for backups.

And files or media can be synchronised on more than one device so that each device has the same content.

Also the amount of storage can be increased or decreased as needed, so that means it's scalable.

So let's take a look at some questions then and see whether they are advantages or disadvantages.

So data can not be accessed if a steady internet connection is not available.

Is that an advantage or disadvantage? It's a disadvantage.

With a good internet connection, files can be accessed any time, any place.

Is that an advantage or disadvantage? It's an advantage.

Control of the location and how your data is stored is out of your hands.

Is that an advantage or disadvantage? It's a disadvantage.

The cloud provider manages the data and its security.

Is that an advantage or disadvantage? It's an advantage.

Additional storage can be expensive.

Is that an advantage or disadvantage? It's a disadvantage.

So device considerations.

There are many different devices that can be used to access cloud services and the functionality of each device will have an impact on the quality of service.

Decisions need to be made about screen size, how portable the device is, what processing power is needed, the amount of data a device can hold, connectivity speed and what operating system the device uses.

What are the drawbacks of cloud computing then? You need to have an internet connection to be able to access any cloud service.

Software features may not be compatible.

For example, a document created using Microsoft Word may lose some features when it is uploaded into Google Drive and opened with Google Docs.

Features available on a laptop may not work as well on a mobile device, making the user experience a negative one.

And a mobile device may have less processing power and RAM, which creates difficulty when moving between devices to work on tasks.

So, effective use of cloud computing then.

Complete the worksheet where you will decide how effective each company is at using cloud computing.

Pause the video while you have a go at that.

Excellent.

So let's take a look at the solutions then.

Scenario one.

There are issues relating to connectivity and security in this scenario.

If the cloud providers have downtime, the business will be unable to function.

The poor security of one of the drivers means that if her device is stolen, the thief will have access to the client's data.

Intermitted and slow broadband will also affect how well the business can function.

So maybe had something like that.

For scenario two then, it makes the best use of cloud computing because security has been put in place to ensure that the client's data is kept safe.

It is also allows stakeholders to collaborate which facilitates flexible working and security levels have been applied so that only the people who are meant to be working on a document can edit it.

That's everything for this lesson then.

I hope you've learned more about cloud computing and how you can use it effectively.

Now if you'd like to, please ask your parent or carer to share your work on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter tagging @OakNational and #LearnwithOak.

And I'll see you again soon for lesson five.