Top 5 Cloud Computing Service Providers

Many companies looking to expand their business applications are looking for a cloud to outsource their infrastructure needs. Choosing the right provider can be a daunting task because there are many to choose from. Here is a list of the top five cloud computing services that have remained strong candidate in this growing market.

Amazon Web Services - a long time front-runner in the field of cloud computing, Amazon offers a suite of tools that provide cost effective and scalable infrastructure as a service for companies who need a reliable computer services and warehousing. Their Elastic Compute Cloud service, otherwise known as EC2, cloud-based service where users can create virtual machines and run the program of their choice on a per-need basis. Clients pay by the hour for the server to use and have control over the location and implementation. It is designed to work directly with other Amazon Web Services such as the Simple Storage Service (S3), which allows users to store and retrieve data unlimited, pay only for resources used.

Google App Engine - As a major player in Internet technologies, Google has joined the ranks of cloud computing services with Google App Engine platform as a service. This service is focused on developing and hosting web applications using Google's infrastructure and data centre.Motor supports several languages, including Java, Ruby and Python. This scalable service allows developers to pay for what they use without running costs or recurring fees.

Microsoft Azure - Microsoft's answer to cloud computing is the Windows Azure Platform. This platform as a service enables developers to use Microsoft infrastructure and data centers to develop, host and run web applications. Azure offers a complete set of services, including computing environments, scalable storage, database functionality and content delivery networks.

Rackspace - This company is a leader in cloud-based web hosting. Their easy-to-use and on-demand solutions provide customers with a way to servers on-line as quickly as possible, without investing in hardware. Clients pay for the use of a server per hour, and can add or delete server instances on demand. Their main selling point is their fanatical support service that provides excellent customer service through quick response to the problems, find solutions that will benefit the customer, and providing technical expertise.

Salesforce.com - Salesforce's software-as-a-service that specializes in the distribution of business applications through the cloud. Its suite of tools provides the company with customer relationship management services to help them strengthen sales and stay connected with customers. Force.com is a platform-as-a-service that allows developers to use the Salesforce infrastructure for the development of additional applications that integrate with Salesforce solution.

Although these cloud computing services only scratching the surface of the options available for enterprise solutions, they serve as an excellent starting point for further research for your business needs.