AWS vs Google Cloud Platform: How Each Platform Compares in Products, Reliability & Security
AWS vs Google Cloud Platform: How Each Platform Compares in Product Reliability and Security
There are many cloud platforms out there to choose from and when companies make the decision to switch to cloud computing, they have the opportunity to reap many benefits. From no longer dealing with physical hardware to decreased expenses, companies can look forward to these changes if they make this investment. Two very well-known cloud platforms are Amazon Web Services (AWS, which we used in MIS 3406) and Google Cloud Platform. Both platforms are commonly used but they have some set differences. A sign in the reliability of both platforms is the fact that many companies use both. Apple, HTC and Sony Music use Google’s platform while companies like Netflix, Airbnb and NASA use AWS. It’s important to identify the capabilities of each platform before choosing which one to use. I’ll be comparing AWS and Google Cloud Platform as well as highlighting if cloud security is one of the deciding factors on which platform you should use.
The Google Cloud Platform includes a variety of services. They have 50+ products that they offer like Compute Engine and Cloud DNS. Amazon Web Services has a wider range of services they provide. Compared to the Google Cloud Platform, AWS has 200+ products that include Elastic Compute Cloud, DynamoDB and Elastic Beanstalk. For both companies, the main product used is virtual machines. They basically do the same things even though they have different names (Compute Engine for Google and Elastic Compute Cloud for AWS). An example of how these virtual machines would work is if a company wanted to deploy a single-page website (application), they would create an instance if they’re using AWS or machine type if they’re using GCP, install the appropriate software onto the instance/machine for the application to work and then install the code onto the instance/machine.
When looking at the statistics, AWS is used way more than GCP is used. This doesn’t mean GCP doesn’t lead in certain categories. When looking at the latency test, GCP is better when it comes to how fast an application is responding to your request. GCP also offers its customers unique billing options like Build-your-own-server type and sustained used discounts. Like we mentioned in class, companies can benefit from switching to cloud computing but when it comes to picking a platform it’s important to understand the structure of your own company and what leads in importance. If it’s product options, AWS is a great choice because of the variety but if it’s cost, looking into the different payment options GCP has can be your companies deciding factor.
Another important factor that comes into play when deciding on a cloud platform is cloud security. Companies that hold important information or just simply don’t want to be subject to security threats can’t overlook this category. Cloud security is a combination of settings and procedures that help protect data and infrastructure on cloud-based systems. Cloud security is one of the reasons for reduced expenses. There is 24/7 security that doesn’t require much assistance from an IT team which ultimately reduces admin. AWS and GCP often compete when it comes to the best security options because it’s an obvious selling point. From reading the article “Google Tries to Beat out AWS at cloud security”, Google has tried to differentiate itself from its competitors by trying to catch up to what AWS is already doing but by also doing something new like creating an API that prevents data leaks.
Overall AWS is the leading options but GCP is making strong efforts to give customers different choices they haven’t seen before. Whether that’s in pricing or cloud security, each platform has benefits of its own.
Bibliography
https://cloudacademy.com/blog/google-cloud-vs-aws-a-comparison/
https://kinsta.com/blog/google-cloud-vs-aws/
https://www.forcepoint.com/cyber-edu/cloud-security
https://www.infoworld.com/article/3179138/google-tries-to-beat-aws-at-cloud-security.html