Cloud application development involves building applications hosted on the cloud, eliminating the need for a local hosting server. It includes all stages, from coming up with the idea and finding your target audience to launching the app.
In our comprehensive guide, we’ll cover what cloud application development entails, its types, benefits, and challenges. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
- What Is a Cloud-Based Application?
- 3 Common Cloud Types for App Deployment
- 3 Types of Cloud Services
- Most-Sought-After Features of Cloud Application Development Platforms
- 8 Steps To Develop a Cloud-Based Application
- Cost of Cloud Application Development
- 6 Benefits of Cloud Application Development
- 4 Challenges of Cloud Apps Development
- Wrapping Up on Cloud Application Development
- Cloud Application Development FAQs
What Is a Cloud-Based Application?
A cloud-based application, or cloud app, is a type of software that runs on remote servers, — also known as the cloud — instead of a user's local device. This means that users can access cloud-based apps via the Internet using a web browser or a mobile app, regardless of their physical location — from anywhere they have an Internet connection.
Cloud-based applications are popular solutions because they offer improved scalability, flexibility, and accessibility compared to traditional on-premise software, as well as automatic updates and improved data security.
3 Common Cloud Types for App Deployment
First things first, there are 3 different cloud deployment methods. Those are:
- Public cloud: It is shared by many organizations, making it an affordable and scalable solution for small businesses with limited budgets. Since the cloud service provider performs maintenance and management, it does not require extensive IT knowledge. However, the public cloud offers less server control, customizability, and security.
- Private cloud: It is a deployment model owned by a business organization and not accessible to the public. It can be hosted in-house or externally. Although expensive, the private cloud provides many benefits, including high security, customizability, and greater server control.
- Hybrid cloud: It combines the features of public and private clouds, integrating them into one comprehensive cloud solution. It is an affordable, customizable, and secure solution; however, conflicts may occasionally occur when public and private clouds communicate.
3 Types of Cloud Services
There are three types of cloud services. Before you look into how to develop an app, choose which type of cloud services you need between:
1. IaaS
With Infrastructure-as-a-Service or IaaS, the cloud service provider handles the infrastructure management including the network, servers, and data storage.
In this type of cloud app service, the user rents the infrastructure and uses a dashboard or application programming interface (API) to access the app. An example of IaaS is Microsoft Azure.
2. PaaS
With Platform-as-a-Service or PaaS, the software platform and the hardware are provided by a cloud service provider, but the user manages the app and the data it uses.
Often used by developers, PaaS provides users with a cloud platform for application development without having to worry about building a successful app and maintaining the infrastructure. An example of a PaaS is Google App Engine.
3. SaaS
Software-as-a-Service or SaaS is a cloud service that provides a product entirely managed and run by the cloud service provider. This includes all maintenance, bugs, and updates.
Typically, SaaS cloud applications are mobile or web apps that users can access using a browser. This can be email marketing software, customer relationship management (CRM) software, or a communication channel like Slack.
Most-Sought-After Features of Cloud Application Development Platforms
Now that you know the types of cloud services and deployment methods, let’s explore the key features to look for when choosing the best cloud application development platform:
- Security: Since the app is built and stored on a cloud, security is a primary concern. Traditional methods and infrastructure aren't sufficient for the cloud, especially against cyberattacks. So, employing safety measures like SSL and TSL encryption or the trifecta of cloud security (CSPM, CWPP, and CASB) is a must.
- Scalability: A good cloud application development platform should offer automatic resource scaling. That way, when the app gets a lot of traffic, the cloud automatically scales it to the needed amount. Once the demand decreases, it should return to optimal levels, making it cost-efficient.
- Ease of use: A cloud app development platform should be user-friendly. Drag-and-drop interfaces and a library with pre-set elements commonly used by app developers should be part of the package.
- Integrations: The platform should support various databases, APIs, and other tools and apps that can help streamline their work when developing a business application. The more integrations a cloud-based application development platform has, the better.
- Speed: Developers shouldn’t have to waste time moving objects, coding unnecessary sections, or other repetitive tasks. A good cloud application development platform will provide the necessary tools to speed up the whole creation process and automate some of the coding tasks.
8 Steps To Develop a Cloud-Based Application
We've provided a step-by-step guide to the cloud-based applications development process. Here’s how to develop a scalable and reliable cloud-based that meets your business objectives:
- Identify the target audience for your cloud-based application and try to understand the unique pain points your app will solve.
- Hire an outsourcing app development team. Following your instructions and requirements, they will help you define the workflow, milestones, and app features, design the app concept, and start creating the first minimum viable product (MVP).
- Decide on app architecture and service model. Your chosen service model (SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS) must be compatible with the kind of cloud solution you're creating.
- Select the set of technologies needed to develop the cloud-based app. These technologies include application and data services, utilities, DevOps, and collaboration tools.
- Choose a monetization model for your cloud-based app. Available options are free, freemium (free download with paid premium features), in-app purchases, and advertising.
- Create a minimum viable product that will help you understand how the target audience perceives your app and what changes you should make to improve it.
- Test the app to discover and remove errors and bugs.
- Launch the app on the desired market (Google’s Play Store or Apple App Store) and keep it up to date.
Cost of Cloud Application Development
Generally, a cloud app development will cost around $20,000 per project. However, depending on the hours you need, included features, and the type of cloud deployment method used, these estimated costs can rise to as much as $400,000.
To gauge the price and get an estimate, look out for these factors:
- App complexity: The more complex the app, the more time and money it will require. For example, enterprise mobile app development will require more features compared to a simple e-shop.
- Cloud provider: Costs for a cloud provider also vary. Microsoft Azure charges from $0.075/hour and up, while Google Cloud starts at around $0.1/hour.
- Time: Since most features on a cloud application development platform are charged per hour, time is a key factor in determining how much your project would cost.
- Resources needed: This includes developers, cloud infrastructure, documentation, analytics tools, etc. — everything needed to conduct the project. Each component has different prices and pricing models, which will directly influence the total cost of the cloud app development.
6 Benefits of Cloud Application Development
Cloud-based applications are seeing widespread adoption, thanks to the numerous benefits they bring to organizations:
1. Saving Time
Cloud application development means saving time for your IT departments. As software updates and maintenance are regularly handled by the cloud provider, your IT team can focus on other relevant tasks.
2. Cost-efficiency
One of the main advantages of cloud applications is cost efficiency. It significantly reduces the set-up and maintenance costs as you don’t need to invest in on-site infrastructure and servers. The cloud provider oversees all the hardware requirements.
Basically, with cloud services, you only pay for the cloud infrastructure and resources you use, and the cloud provider takes care of the rest. Additionally, you are only charged for the service while it’s running, so if you stop using it, you won’t incur additional costs.
3. Ease of Deployment
Cloud-based apps are easier to deploy compared to traditional apps. For example, some parts of the deployment process can be automated, such as testing your app before pushing it live. You can even automate the provisioning of servers.
4. Disaster Recovery
To ensure disaster recovery with traditional apps, you need to invest in a separate data center and the tools to replicate said data and restore systems.
With applications hosted on the cloud, cloud services handle this, so there’s no need for further investments in infrastructure. Whatever physical damage occurs to your device or a server, your data will remain securely stored online.
5. Scalability
Cloud-based application development ensures easy scalability. While the traditional model requires a lot of planning, including the hardware your app will run on, servers, etc., cloud-based apps make it easy to scale any part of your application as you don’t need to worry about hardware. For example, you can scale your server by adding more servers.
6. Flexibility
Cloud-based applications are often more flexible than traditional ones. For example, if you need to make changes in the IT infrastructure, the cloud service provider will address your needs and handle all the infrastructure-related issues for you.
4 Challenges of Cloud Apps Development
While there are many advantages to cloud app development, it comes with its own set of challenges too, which vary depending on factors such as cloud provider and requirements.
Here are some of the challenges of cloud app development:
1. Reliability
Cloud-based applications boast reliability with little to no downtime even in the event of a disaster. However, sometimes, cloud providers struggle with around-the-clock service, which can lead to some downtime.
Solution: To prevent this, monitor the cloud service provider and choose the provider that can guarantee no downtime and consistent app performance.
2. Interoperability and Portability
With cloud application development, achieving interoperability and portability is essential but not always easy. When you create a cloud application, you use one of the available platforms for app development. However, you also want to ensure your app works in different cloud environments to ensure your customers have interrupted access to your services. You don’t want to be limited to a single cloud provider.
Solution: Write code that works with different cloud providers. This requires careful planning from the start and adopting necessary cloud computing standards.
3. Security
While cloud hosting is generally secure, client-side security issues still challenge developers. Client-side security involves the policies and technologies that protect users from malicious activities on web pages.
The browsers that customers use to access your app significantly affect this, often leading to cyber-attacks. The challenge with cloud apps is ensuring that security policies are implemented outside of the browser. Be sure to understand the level of protection applied by the cloud provider.
Solution: Adhere to the protocols for cloud cybersecurity and use encryptions for all the data. You can use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) to protect sensitive data and ensure a secure connection.
Solving this challenge is particularly important since data privacy is a significant concern for users. In a report published by KPMG on corporate data responsibility, 86% of participants said that data privacy is a major concern for them.
4. Performance Issues
While cloud applications are marketed as reliable since they have no physical storage, not knowing where your servers are and the time it takes to render data can be a challenge.
Rendering data and all the resources your app needs can take longer than expected. Even just a few seconds of delay can drive users away. Ideally, your app load time should be no longer than 2 seconds.
Solution: Optimal performance is key to attracting and retaining users, so you need to monitor your app regularly and ensure it’s working properly. Moreover, research the cloud provider’s infrastructure ahead of time to see if it can support your app.
Wrapping Up on Cloud Application Development
Cloud application development has taken the app world by storm and shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, Statista found that the cloud applications market in the United States is expected to reach around $160.9 billion by the end of 2024, rising to $168.6 billion by 2025.
Whether you’re developing an IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS application in a public, private, or hybrid cloud, cloud app development can save both time and cost. Be mindful of the potential challenges and work with top cloud consulting services to ensure you avoid any issues. And if you feel you can’t create the app on your own, consider partnering with a mobile app development company for help.
Good luck with your cloud app development!
Cloud Application Development FAQs
1. What is the difference between web applications and cloud applications?
A web application is software that users access through a web browser and runs on a web server, while a cloud application is a type of web application hosted on the cloud by a third-party cloud service provider.
While web and cloud applications have similarities — both are accessed through a web browser and provide similar functionalities — their key difference is in hosting and management. A web app can be hosted locally or on the internet, whereas a cloud app is hosted and managed by third-party cloud service providers.
2. What are some common examples of cloud apps?
Many types of cloud apps are available; here are some common examples:
- Office suites - Google’s Workspace, Microsoft Office 365
- Customer relationship management (CRM) platforms - Salesforce, HubSpot
- eCommerce platforms - Shopify, WooCommerce
- Human resource management (HRM) platforms - Zenefits, Workday
- Project management platforms - Trello, Asana
- Video conferencing platforms - Zoom, Teams
- File storage and sharing - Google Drive, Dropbox
