Why choose Google Cloud Platform (GCP)?

Introduction

Per  25 April 2023, Google Cloud finally make profits for the first time. Google has been investing heavily in its cloud-computing division to compete with Amazon and Microsoft, and those significant investments are now yielding profits.

On Tuesday, Alphabet announced that Google's cloud business has become profitable for the first time in the three years since it started sharing operating metrics for the segment.

The division reported an operating income of $191 million on $7.45 billion in revenue for the first quarter, as per Alphabet's earnings statement. In comparison, the unit registered a $706 million loss on $5.82 billion in revenue during the same quarter last year.

The Beginning of Cloud Computing

In the beginning, Jeff Bezos established Amazon.com and successfully took the company to its Initial Public Offering (IPO) by 1997. Amazon.com, as everyone knows, has become an incredibly influential force in the online retail space and has diversified into numerous other fields. However, after the Dotcom bubble burst in the early 2000s, the future of the company was not as certain as it is now. Despite this, Amazon had been building robust and scalable internal computer systems that were crucial to its success.

Both Amazon and Google had numerous users and substantial amounts of traffic, requiring them to develop scalable, cost-effective computing capacity. While both companies faced similar issues, there were some critical differences between them. Google's business was inherently more profitable, allowing them to overinvest in computing, with the confidence that their advertising revenue would cover the costs. Google's primary technical challenge was processing and making sense of vast amounts of data (indexing the entire internet for Google Search), while Amazon's primary challenge was managing the fluctuating traffic of its hundreds of millions of users.

At some point, Amazon recognized that it had created an innovative platform, consisting of APIs and services, that external customers would be willing to pay for. This platform helped Amazon monetize excess server capacity. In 2006, Amazon launched Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) and Simple Storage Service (S3), which remain the foundation of AWS cloud offerings. Microsoft and Google entered the cloud services market as well, with Microsoft launching Azure in 2010 and Google launching App Engine in 2008.

Amazon initially focused on Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), while Google's first offering was Platform as a Service (PaaS). This decision was a significant mistake for Google, as large organizations in 2010 were less likely to adopt an untested cloud-specific platform like App Engine. Amazon's first-mover advantage and focus on IaaS allowed them to secure a considerable lead in the cloud market.

In recent years, Microsoft and, to a lesser extent, Google have entered the cloud space. This is partially due to the economics of the cloud business, as Amazon revealed the size and profitability of AWS in April 2015. Microsoft has been gaining momentum in the cloud market under Satya Nadella's leadership, with Azure challenging AWS despite their significant differences in market share.

Why Google Cloud Platform (GCP)?

If AWS is the market leader and Azure has momentum, why should we focus on the Google Cloud Platform? There are a few compelling reasons to consider GCP:

1. Demand and Supply: There is high demand for AWS and Azure professionals, but there is also an abundant supply. In contrast, the growing demand for GCP has not yet been met with a sufficient supply of skilled professionals. Smart bets on technologies like GCP can lead to successful careers.
2. The Rise of PaaS: While IaaS was a smart initial focus for Amazon, now that the cloud is a trusted and proven model, people are more willing to consider PaaS. GCP's PaaS offerings are highly competitive compared to its rivals.
3. Expertise in Data Processing and Machine Learning: Google has long been a leader in processing and analyzing vast amounts of data, as demonstrated by Google Search. Additionally, they have made significant advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence. GCP offers access to these cutting-edge technologies, giving users a competitive advantage in data-driven decision-making.
4. Strong Global Infrastructure: Google's extensive network of data centers, spread across multiple regions and zones, ensures that GCP users can deliver their services with low latency and high availability. This global infrastructure enables businesses to scale their operations worldwide without sacrificing performance.

While AWS and Azure may be more established players in the cloud market, GCP offers a compelling alternative for businesses and professionals who want to leverage Google's expertise, competitive pricing, and innovative technologies. By investing in GCP, users can potentially position themselves for success in the rapidly evolving cloud computing landscape.

About 8grams

We are a small DevOps Consulting Firm that has a mission to empower businesses with modern DevOps practices and technologies, enabling them to achieve digital transformation, improve efficiency, and drive growth.

Ready to transform your IT Operations and Software Development processes? Let's join forces and create innovative solutions that drive your business forward.

Subscribe to our newsletter for cutting-edge DevOps practices, tips, and insights delivered straight to your inbox!