Onsite IT infrastructures are rapidly being replaced with services that are based on cloud computing. Public and private cloud configurations are being embraced by enterprise clients across the globe as running and maintaining on-premise IT resources can be overwhelmingly complex and costly.

Cloud Adoption - An Overview

Thanks to cloud hosted infrastructures, organizations can now outsource a large number of IT services. Product teams can now continue to concentrate on development of innovative products instead of managing day to day functions of on-site IT infrastructures. Most of the companies that have their in-house infrastructure can continue to use it for maintaining a small but critical portion of their critical IT infrastructure.

If you consider the available options for cloud adoption, then AWS and GCP are the two most popular service providers followed by Microsoft Azure. Amazon is a leading name among all cloud provider companies. The cloud platform of Google Inc has been steadily growing with its vast network of data centers across the globe.

AWS Cloud Platform

Amazon offers virtually every feature that is available in terms of cloud computing technology. The AWS cloud platform is designed for a prompt accessibility to compute power and other essential resources required for storage of information and app development. You just name it and you will have it. Amazon’s AWS Cloud offers tools for management, application resources, infrastructure for database, and much more.
 
As far as the pricing parameter is concerned, Amazon has made it a point to keep the costs of its cloud services under control for gaining an edge over competition. One can safely conclude that pricing strategy of AWS cloud is influenced by other cloud hosting providers. This can be an important feature for customers from startup segment or even for small and medium enterprises that are planning a cloud adoption.
 
There is a free trial facility for new comers who feel that a trial is necessary before arriving at any policy decision. There is also an option to buy server power on a per second basis to keep cloud costs under control. AWS also allows customers to choose the right cloud configuration that can prove to be much more cost effective than an on-premise IT infrastructure.

GCP- Google’s Cloud Offering

Developers can find a plethora of products including a feature of App Engine development for the entire tem of developers by selecting Google Cloud Platform. Developers need not manage server resources and can continue to build applications by leveraging GCP for operating complex computing in addition to database management and networking. Google Cloud Platform offers everything that is required for a development of a mobile app.

On the pricing front, Google takes a lead over its closest rivals by allowing pay as you go model for billing. If you are a loyal user of GCP products, then Google will reward you by way of handsome discounts that are effective right from the beginning. New mobile development companies can benefit from this feature as these enterprises need to operate on shoestring budgets.

Point To Point Comparison

Cost Effectiveness- Amazon Web Services make you wait for almost over a year before you are eligible for any discounts. Customers are required to pay an entire amount in terms of annual fees as advance. Moreover, you will not be allowed to alter your plans for such period before the discounts come into effect. This policy may not be palatable for enterprises that need to fine-tune their needs in a dynamic manner. A significant cost element needs to be considered before buying managed AWS cloud services due to these pricing policies. On the other hand, Google exhibits far better flexibility by allowing customers to shift between plans without losing the discount cover as they continue. The sustained use discounts come into force right after completion of a thirty days period. Freedom from vendor lock-in is one of the most useful features of Google Cloud Platform. Users can shift to other cloud provider at any point of time without any loss of investment.
 
Billing Cycles- Google is an obvious choice in terms of billing method because users can pay on per second billing as against an hourly billing cycle of AWS. If a client has used a cloud instance for only five minutes, then AWS would charge for the entire hour.

Product Offerings- Being an undisputed leader of innovative technologies such as Big Data, AWS has a large spectrum of products to offer. These include AWS Lambda for carrying out short-term Big Data workloads and highly popular options for DevOps tools including Kubernetes as well as Docker. Google is not far behind in terms of Big Data products, thanks to its huge database of Google Chrome that handles more than two trillion searches on a yearly basis. The treasure of information is by itself a great asset of Google that facilitates the giant to develop an impressive array of products. The learning curve is not an issue for using Big Data and AI products by Google Cloud Platform. These products are designed to offer great insights from colossal volumes of data.

In Conclusion

Although, AWS has taken a considerable lead over Google Cloud Platform, GCP has been proving to be a significant force to reckon with. Its highly competitive pricing, user-friendly products, and freedom from vendor lock-in make it a serious contender for the top position.