What is Cloud Native?

The Cloud means storing and transmitting information over the internet to be housed on a server to access anytime and from anywhere. Different types of solutions fall under the Cloud umbrella, most commonly broken out into cloud-enabled, cloud-based, cloud-agnostic, and cloud-native applications. When referring to cloud native, these solutions are developed in the Cloud and designed using multi-tenant architecture for maximum scalability and do not rely on client-server architecture typical of legacy systems. Cloud-native solutions can be quickly deployed without the investment of costly IT resources or infrastructure and can integrate more easily with other modern cloud applications. Cloud-native solutions also enable software providers to seamlessly deliver frequent enhancements without any disruption or downtime.

A Microservices architecture consisting of multiple small, interdependent services is used to build cloud-native applications . This architecture efficiently allocates resources to each service that the application uses, making the application flexible, adaptable, and promote business agility.

Examples of common cloud-native consumer applications include Facebook, Netflix, Uber, and Amazon. These cloud-native systems consist of many independent services that allow them to respond quickly to changing market conditions, provide information in real time, and can scale services as needed. Cloud-native applications also deliver value to businesses to enable speed, agility, and scalability in their product development and delivery activities. Examples of cloud-native business applications include CRM, ERP, PLM, and QMS solutions like Salesforce, NetSuite, and Arena. These cloud-native apps enable companies to deliver scalable, secure solutions to customers that don’t require maintenance of IT infrastructure.