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The top market research firm, Global Industry Analysts Inc. (GIA), has issued a new market report named “Web Hosting Services – Global Market Trajectory & Analytics”, which offers new insights on possibilities and difficulties in a post-COVID-19 environment with substantial changes.

The Report Summary

Despite the COVID-19 emergency, the worldwide market for Web Hosting Services, which was predicted to be worth US$71.1 billion in 2020, is expected to expand at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 13.2 % to reach US$152.7 billion by 2026. One of the sectors examined in the research, shared hosting, is expected to increase at a 15% CAGR to reach US$72.2 billion by the conclusion of the analysis period.

After a detailed examination of the pandemic’s commerce consequences and the resulting economic crisis, the Dedicated Hosting segment’s growth is readjusted to a revised 11.1 % CAGR over the next seven years. The worldwide Web Hosting Services market is presently dominated by this sector, which holds a 25.5% share.

The US market is expected to be worth $30 billion in 2021, while China’s market is predicted to reach $16.9 billion by 2026.

In the year 2021, the Web Hosting Services industry in the United States is forecast to be worth US$30 billion. In the worldwide market, the country now holds a 37.35 percent stake. China, the world’s second-largest economy, is expected to reach a market size of US$16.9 billion in 2026, representing a CAGR of 15.6% throughout the study period.

Japan and Canada are two additional significant geographic markets, with growth forecasts of 10.9% and 11.7%, respectively, throughout the research period. Germany is expected to expand at a 13.9% CAGR within Europe, while the rest of the European market (as defined in the study) would reach US$19.1 billion by the conclusion of the analysis period.

Collected Hosting Segment will be valued at $20.7 by 2026

The U.S. Canada, Japan, China, and Europe are expected to fuel the worldwide Collected Hosting segment. By the end of the analysis period, these regional markets, which had a combined market value of US$8.5 billion in 2020, will have grown to US$18.3 billion.

Reliable Hosting Services are Vital to Keep your Company in the Game

In this competitive market, it is important to maintain your company available on the Internet. In order to do that, it is advised to hire secure and trustworthy hosting services, like those provided by Serverpronto. They care about keeping your server protected and your website always online.

If you are looking for a hosting services provider, you may be glad to know that Serverpronto is always there for you to contact them and find together the most appropriate solutions to your requirements.

An increasing focus on sustainable or green data centers has become a trend in the industry of hosting services and data processing. Data centers use a lot of power, which is why companies have their eyes set on moving to green data centers that feed off renewable energy sources. This means that their ecological footprint is reduced while remaining energy efficient. This movement toward more sustainable options is expected to create a powerful impact in the industry, especially in regions such as Europe, Asia-Pacific, and North America.

What is the difference between a regular data center and a sustainable one?

Many of the key factors that define a green data center are invisible. These include external factors such as improving heat dissipation or internal measures such as airflow design. In recent years, techniques such as free cooling or free chilling have been adopted, which show much better results than a traditional air conditioning system. Also, optimizing airflow through containment has enabled smarter room cooling.

Water conservation and the use of renewable energy are raising the bar by which green data centers are assessed. To reduce consumption, multiple techniques such as energy storage or solar panels are being used. At the same time, innovative solutions can prevent the energy captured in cooling systems from being wasted.

Green data centers: A utopia or a reality?

In some data centers, the changes required to achieve sustainability are prohibitive and complex. Logistical, financial, and operational obstacles limit the options for deploying technologies such as a new refrigeration system. But there are many reasons to remain optimistic.

Many organizations are creatively tackling the challenge. For example, there is growing interest in locating facilities in cold regions to allow cooling using outside air or even underwater to use that naturally flowing cold water. However, due to a combination of practical management measures and the trend toward the growing use of edge computing, these options only make up a portion of green data centers.

Work with a provider dedicated to innovation

No technology determines whether a facility is sustainable, but ethics and a commitment to sustainability must be clear.

ServerPronto is a company that has been committed to innovation since its inception in 1999, as demonstrated by its smart dedicated servers and secure private clouds. However, its priorities are not only being a reliable and secure hosting business but also being one that is constantly at the forefront of technology, which includes a commitment to becoming more sustainable.

Make sure to review the services offered by ServerPronto if you’re looking for a cost-efficient and reliable solution in the hosting service industry. 

Hosting services are at the heart of the current digital landscape, and they are the driving forces of the internet. A website is no longer a frivolous luxury, but rather a solid foundation from where business can expand their reach, encompassing everything from social media to the world of cloud services and apps.

Your website is the essence of your online presence, while the hosting service is the bedrock. No matter if you are a big or small business, service provider, or a freelancer, knowing crucial data on web hosting can be a game-changer, especially since it is moving the industry forward.

1.    Market Size & Share Statistics for Web Hosting

A lot of technological improvements have been made since the first website was hosted by a NeXT computer in 1989, which has given way to the current cyberspace behemoth. It is nearly impossible to find someone who isn’t using the internet in some capacity, whether it be for business, social, educational, or personal motives, which is why it is one of the most far-reaching inventions of all time. These are some key web hosting statistics you should know about:

  • According to HostAdvice, the three leading web hosts with the most users around the world are GoDaddy at 11.64%, Google Cloud Platform at 4.99%, and 1&1 at 4.34%.
  • The U.S. dominates 51.14% of web hosting market shares worldwide as of March 2021. Germany trails behind in second with 11.65%, and the UK comes in third with 4.19% (HostAdvice, 2021).
  • GoDaddy Group is at the helm of the market share with 6.6%, with Amazon in a close second place at 5.9% (Hosting Tribunal, 2020).

2.    Facts on Web Hosting

It’s been more than 30 years since the first website came online. According to TechJury, there are now approximately more than 1.8 billion websites and about 200 million of these are operational. These facts on web hosting will probably surprise you, and you’ll be glad you heard about them.

  • The total amount of internet users worldwide was about 4.66 billion in October 2020 (We Are Social, 2020).
  • About 40% of consumers state that if a site doesn’t load in under three seconds, they will leave that site (WebsiteBuilderExpert, 2021).
  • Social media users on mobile devices are the segment of internet users that show the most rapid growth (vpnMentor, 2021).
  • In the third trimester of 2020, there was a 3% increase in domain name registrations compared to the stats for the same timeframe in 2019 (Verisign, 2020).

3.    Economic effects of Web Hosting

No matter the use that the internet is given –gaming, file sharing, email messaging, research, entertainment, or education– a financial aspect is usually involved, among other factors. Some of the most important economic effects that we can share thanks to web hosting data are the following.

  • Fees for shared hosting range from $3 to $7 per month, whereas VPS hosting rates are in the range of $20-$30 per month (WebHostingSecretsRevealed, 2021).
  • Websites with lengthy loading times cost the economy of the U.S. about $500 million each year (WebsiteHostingRating, 2021).
  • In 2019, there was an 8.6% increase in people using eCommerce platforms to shop for consumer goods. There are currently 4.28 billion people who buy online (We Are Social, 2020).

4.    Key web hosting features

As with any other technology service or product, its success depends mostly on the quality of services offered. Even though users usually choose web hosts that fit their specific needs, some features are what make web hosting providers perform well and consistently in the market. These include features such as load time, uptime, and speed.

For example, taking the loading time from eight to two seconds represents an increase of 74% in conversion rates (Website Hosting Insider, 2017).

How to use these statistics when looking for a web hosting provider

Make sure to look for a provider who can provide speed, security, and support, like ServerPronto.

ServerPronto’s data centers can keep your servers up and running around the clock, guaranteed. Since the network belongs to ServerPronto, you can expect reliability and security for all of your digital assets. This also means that affordable dedicated servers and cloud hosting can be provided.

Be sure to take a look at the dedicated server packages ServerPronto has to offer.

If you are like many online business owners, you started out using a shared web hosting plan because it was convenient and more cost-effective. Over time, however, a hosting upgrade becomes crucial for the continued success of your site performance, but how to choose the best option?

The following examines available hosting levels, as well as looks at several signs you need to upgrade your current host and the top 5 advantages associated with upgrading. 

Types of Web Hosting

First, it’s essential to understand that the purpose of a web host is to act as a storage center for your website. As a general rule, there are four types of web hosting when it comes to business websites, which differ in their storage capacity, server speed, reliability, control, and amount of technical knowledge you will need to use it. The four types of web hosting are:

  1. Shared: When you opt for shared hosting, you are sharing both a physical server and software applications with other websites. While this is an affordable option that requires minimal technical knowledge, the fact that there may be thousands of other sites on the server means that your site usually runs slower and can’t handle excess traffic.
  2. Virtual Private Server (VPS): Similar to a shared hosting plan, VPS hosting usually ensures there are fewer sites per server.
  3. Dedicated Servers: A dedicated server means that your website has the webserver entirely to itself, which improves performance and security and allows for admin or root access. Although it is a more expensive option than the previous two, this becomes an ideal option as your website expands and grows.
  4. Cloud Hosting: Cloud hosting refers to a team of servers that band together to host a group of websites you are responsible for. The servers work as a team to manage traffic spikes or high overall traffic, but don’t provide the root access needed to alter server settings and install some types of software.

Is it Time to Upgrade?

Determining whether or not it is time to upgrade to a dedicated server is very easy. Here are the most common indications that it is time for you to upgrade.

  • Poor website performance: This includes a slow website (increased loading time for a page) and one that frequently goes offline or gives visitors an error sign.
  • Increased number of visitors: It is usually suggested that you strongly consider upgrading if you regularly get 100 or more visitors a day. A dedicated server can handle thousands of visitors every day.
  • Multiple websites: If you manage more than one site, a shared host is highly unlikely to be able to accommodate the amount of traffic they all receive together.
  • Planning an expansion: If you are getting ready to expand your website, use more intensive applications, and host downloadable content and videos, it is time to upgrade. Failure to do is almost certain to interfere with your website’s overall performance.

The Advantages of Upgrading to a Dedicated Server

There are numerous benefits associated with upgrading to a dedicated server, so we’ll just discuss the top five below.

  1. Your site will not only be more reliable, but it will also experience a considerable improvement in performance. When you opt for a dedicated server, you never have to worry about sharing your resources. As a result, you can expect: Guaranteed server uptime, which ensures that your website will almost, if not always, be available. Increased speed because you don’t have to deal with other sites clogging up the server’s RAM and CPU.
  2. You will have complete control of hosting/ server resources. With no other sites using the server, you have full control over resource distribution.
  3. You will have the ability to use intensive applications. It’s entirely up to you to decide what programs, applications, and scripts are run on the server.
  4. You will have the ability to customize. As the only site on the server, you can not only choose programs and software, but also configure disk space, CPU, and RAM. Also, you will find it much easier to get additional space as your website expands and grows.
  5. Your site will be more secure. Upgrading to a dedicated provider guarantees that you are not sharing space with a possible spammer or a malicious website. It is also known for offering one of the highest levels of security against adware and malware. This is especially important if you handle sensitive information. After all, merchants that accept credit cards online are required to be PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliant. Shared hosting is not PCI DSS compliant.

Our Recommendations

Once you have done your research and figured the dedicated server or servers that will most likely work for your business, take a look at the customer reviews. This information can give you better into what to expect.

Choosing the right dedicated server for your business and site is a task that takes time and research. While you compare the different options the market offers, make sure to take into account the various features I mentioned above, as well as the services your business and site will specifically need without ever forgetting about the prices that each provider offers.

With companies like ServerPronto, you can have a dedicated server with up to 48 cores (Quad-Dodeca Monster) alongside other great benefits like fast provisioning, 24/7/365 award-winning support, and a fault-tolerant network that guarantees 100% SLA uptime.

ServerPronto offers affordable and secure hosting service in all dedicated server packages.

Source

A DNS server (Domain Name System), is a computer or a group of them connected to internet nodes, which have a database, our navigators consult regularly.
They work as a book of Internet addresses, resolve (translate) or convert domain names into IP addresses.

Not only browsers, but also mail programs when sending a message, mobile applications to operate, devices to connect to, and anything else that needs to find the address of a domain come to this server. They also have other functions.

Functions of DNS servers

Resolution of names

This term consists of returning the IP address that corresponds to a domain. Internet sites and services get identified by their numeric IP addresses, almost impossible to memorize by humans. For that reason, domain names were created. When requesting the browser for an address, it accesses the nearest DNS, which returns the IP corresponding to the requested site.

For example, when clicking on the link https://norfipc.com, we must wait  for the request to travel to the default DNS of the connection and return the result 31.22.7.120. Then can the browser request the indicated page from this site. Of course, after that, this relationship is saved in the cache for a while, to speed up subsequent queries.

Inverse address resolution

It is the reverse mechanism to the previous, from an IP address get the corresponding hostname.

Resolution of mail servers

Given a domain name (for example, gmail.com), obtain the server through which the e-mail delivery should be made.

The DNS Servers store a series of data for each domain, which is known as “DNS Record”.
The registers A, AAAA, CNAME, NS, MX, among others contain the IP addresses, host names, canonical names, associated email addresses, etc.

Main Internet DNS servers

There are thousands of DNS servers located on different internet nodes. Some get managed by ISPs (Internet supplying companies), others by large companies and there are even personal DNS. Some of them have a small database and queries about sites that got not included, are “passed on” to others that are hierarchically superior.

There are 13 DNS servers on the Internet that are known as the root servers, they store the information of the servers for each of the highest level areas and constitute the center of the network. They get identified with the first seven letters of the alphabet, several of them are physically divided and geographically dispersed, a technique known as “anycast,” with the purpose of increasing performance and safety.

Delay in name resolution

When trying to access with our browser to a website that we had never been before, also little known and that is on a remote server, the request gets made to the default DNS server of our connection, which 80% of the time It’s from a telephone company.

This DNS is generally slow and with little information. The request will send it to another DNS of higher rank and so on until it succeeds.  If the application gets delayed for a certain amount of time, the browser will consider it an error and close the connection.

Errors and censorship in DNS

In addition to the slowness caused by poor quality DNS and poor performance, other factors conspire against the quality of navigation. One of them is errors in the resolution of names when it seems that the sites or internet services do not work and it does not. Another is the use of DNS to censor or block websites, an extended method in some countries.

Alternate internet DNS servers

Due to the difficulties explained above, the use of alternate servers on the Internet has become popular. They are independent services to providers, which generally offer free services, which often include the filtering of inappropriate or dangerous content, such as malware sites or adult-only content. The main ones offer much smaller response times than telephone companies, which considerably increases the quality and performance of navigation. The best known of these is the Google DNS Public Server, whose IP address is: 8.8.8.8.

How to know the DNS servers of our connection

  1. Open Start, type CMD and press the Enter key to open the CMD Console or Command Prompt.
  1. In the black window write the command NSLOOKUP and press Enter again. The application will return the hostname and the IP address of the established DNS, as you can see in the following image.

Conventional cloud storage services are increasingly expensive and do not offer more significant incentives for their users, in addition to reducing the possibilities in data transfer. Also, because they are centralized services, they can be unreliable regarding their ability to preserve the integrity of the data.

Massive and Decentralized Storage of Information

One of the most disruptive applications of active crypto technology is the massive and decentralized storage of information. Decentralization being a concept that has hovered in various areas of communications, business, and social organization, Bitcoin technology presents the world with an option, even in the experimental phase, combining decentralized and permanent records, transparency and security with a system of incentives for the maintenance of the network.

On the other hand, data leakage has been a constant in the history of the internet, so companies or users that handle content that they consider should be protected, are migrating to crypto active networks as an effective and innovative solution for this. If the information gets stored in a single node, there would be the risk of losing it forever if that central base fails.

Blockchain Networks

Thus, various platforms and implementations dedicated to safeguarding the information of those users who do not have enough storage space have decided to place their trust in these protocols. However, we must remember that blockchain platforms are still projects in development, so it is convenient to keep track of them to avoid failures or bad practices that put our data in check.

In these blockchain networks, the information is protected in a shared way by multiple servers located around the world, who keep a copy of the chain of blocks. Also, decentralization allows the client or user to make transactions with your information or even edit it if you have the private keys unique to that record.

Somehow, you can compare these decentralized networks with the torrent services that are so popular to download movies, books, music, and many files. Working with a P2P logic, in the BitTorrent client a large number of users save a file and keep it online available to those who want to download it. The data can get duplicated, modified and distributed endless times.

One of the differences between torrent service and crypto active technology is that the former was not designed with a system of monetary incentives, and the work of those who participate in it are kind.

FileCoin

FileCoin is a cryptocurrency and protocol that works as a solution for data storage. Developed by Protocol Labs, the cryptocurrency is executed on top of the Interplanetary File System, seeking to create new ways to store and share information on the Internet.

However, its difference with web protocols lies in that instead of storing the files in a centralized URL; its routing algorithm allows you to obtain the content from any place or channel that connects to the nodes of your network.

Through a hash address, the content becomes immutable and gets protected against the decisions of third parties who may not want that content to exist or be visible to the public. Also, it allows the user to configure the levels of privacy from making the entire file visible until it is shared promptly with whomever he wishes.

Another advantage that allows the distribution of files through this network is that it is not only a server that stores information, but it gets fragmented between different nodes and users located around the world, independent and separated. In this way, users can rent their spare storage space to safeguard files from third parties and receive a reward for it, obtaining FileCoins for their work.

This operation is common to all the platforms in this list.

SIA

Sia is a protocol that emerged from the HackMIT event in 2013, a student meeting where different types of projects are developed and presented. Officially, Sia was launched in 2015 and also seeks to use the capacity of the memory units to create a decentralized mass storage market powered by the Siacoin currency.

STORJ

Storj is a distributed storage project built on the Ethereum network. It is one of the most popular services of this type, with an active and large community of about 20,000 users and 19,000 guests, which gets reflected in its position as a market leader among all similar projects for mass distributed storage.

SWARM

In the case of Swarm, it is not a blockchain protocol or platform, but rather a technical implementation of Ethereum for data storage. This tool will get activated in conjunction with the Whisper messaging service and the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM).

It should get noted that it is still an implementation in development since Ethereum’s team of collaborators continues to attend to various scalability solutions, so it will progressively come at some point.

MAIDSAFE

Maidsafe is a company established in the United Kingdom in charge of implementing the SAFE Network, a decentralized network that uses the Resource Test as a consensus mechanism to store information.

Given its age, MaidSafe gets distinguished from other crypto projects in having much more time as an enterprise, one of the first to propose decentralization as a key to creating the internet of the future.

In theory, each computer queries a node randomly about the information collected and then disseminates it throughout the network allowing other servers to build an image of what is happening in real time.

Cloud computing is a process that gets increasingly welcomed within the IT areas. In fact, according to a survey published in Forbes magazine, by 2020 83% of the workload in companies will be in the cloud. It is a considerable figure, especially if you consider that until recently the term cloud or cloud computing was unknown or you did not know what it was referring. Today business practices require not only their knowledge and use but migration to this type of models due to the benefits in costs and performance, among others.

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing or cloud computing is a technology by which the resources of the local computer get dispensed with and the computational storage capacity and internet-based storage – the cloud – is exploited. In this measure, only an internet connection is necessary to access resources that the local user does not have.

Now, from a more conceptual perspective, cloud computing ends up being a change in the paradigm since it proposes a panorama in which access to information and technological infrastructure is practically ubiquitous. In this order of ideas, a manager can review and modify the progress of a project in real time from his cell phone, that is without the need to have the technological infrastructure in situ, from anywhere in the world.

The term cloud is used as a metaphor for the internet because flowcharts usually represent it with this figure. However, cloud computing is a term attributed to John McCarthy, who is 1961 was the first to mention the idea that computer time-sharing technology could lead to later processing power could sell as a service.

How does cloud computing work?

In principle, the essential element in cloud computing is the cloud itself, i.e., the internet. Based on this, let’s illustrate an example in which a user decides to work with an X provider. Once he accepts the terms and conditions, he has access to the computing power that said provider offers him; be storage space, high demand processing power or even software or platform.

Despite appearing distant, this cloud is closer than you think. It is very likely that you are in it right now. The top 5 apps in the cloud for consumers currently are:

  1. Facebook
  2. Twitter
  3. YouTube
  4. LinkedIn
  5. Pinterest

An example of a cloud storage service that you have surely used is Google Drive. This is just one of the many features of the Google Suite. Through it, a user can store from 15 GB to 10 TB.

Where is the cloud?


It is clear that all resources in the cloud are tangible, therefore physical and “real”. In this order of ideas, the cloud services are located in the offices of the provider that the user has chosen, such as the Google or Facebook offices.

Cloud types

There are 3 main types of cloud:

Private- Private clouds are those that offer computer services through a private internal network, exclusive to some users and not available to the general public. It is also known as an internal or corporate cloud.

Public-
The public cloud is those computer services that are offered by external providers through the Internet. Therefore, they are available to everyone.

Hybrid-
This type of cloud combines both characteristics, which allows a dynamic between clouds, depending on the needs and the costs that get counted. This solution is the most flexible of all.

Now, there are a series of categories within the clouds described above which are:

  • Software as a Service (SaaS)
  • Platform as Services (PaaS)
  • Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)

Benefits of cloud computing

It is important to keep in mind that although cloud services offer many benefits, they depend on the nature of the company that wants to implement them. In this order of ideas, some operations may not be as convenient for IT areas. The main benefits are:

  • Investment costs- because there is no need to invest in infrastructure, the initial investment costs are much lower.
  • “Unlimited” resources- the resources that can get hired in the cloud are practically unlimited. That is, you can always access more storage space, more processing power or more robust applications.

  • Zero maintenance- since the entire infrastructure is in charge of a third party, the IT areas are focused on more operational functions, instead of high maintenance and updating processes.
  • Security- in case of being considered a public cloud, providers usually have the most robust security systems available in the market. In this way, any cyber attacks get avoided.
  • Information security- by having the information hosted on servers of suppliers with extensive infrastructure, the processes of backup of data (backup) are constant, so it is practically impossible that there is the loss of data.

Conclusions

The cloud is here to stay. Mobility, access, and flexibility are essential characteristics of today’s managers. In this order of ideas, it is necessary to be at the forefront and create strategic alliances with suppliers of importance in this type of service. From this point of view, the Google suite is by far the best ally regarding costs, implementation and above all, innovation, not in vain is the largest Internet company on the market today.

Grid Computing is created to provide a solution to specific issues, such as problems that require a large number of processing cycles or access to a large amount of data. Finding hardware and software that allows these utilities to get provided commonly provides cost, security, and availability issues. In that sense, different types of machines and resources get integrated. Therefore a grid network is never obsolete, and all funds get used. If all the PCs of an office get renewed, the old and the new ones can be incorporated.

On the other hand, this technology gives companies the benefit of speed, which is a competitive advantage, which provides an improvement in the times for the production of new products and services.

Advantages and Disadvantages

It facilitates the possibility of sharing, accessing and managing information, through collaboration and operational flexibility, combining not only different technological resources but also diverse people and skills.

Regarding security in the grid, this is supported by the “intergrids,” where that security is the same as that offered by the Lan network on which grid technology gets used.

The parallelism can be seen as a problem since a parallel machine is costly. But, if we have availability of a set of heterogeneous devices of small or medium size, whose aggregate computational power is considerable, this would allow generating distributed systems of meager cost and significant computational power.

Grid computing needs different services such as the Internet, 24-hour connections, 365 days, broadband, capacity servers, computer security, VPN, firewalls, encryption, secure communications, security policies, ISO standards, and some more features … Without all these functions and features it is not possible to talk about Grid Computing.

Fault tolerance means that if one of the machines that are part of the grid collapses, the system recognizes it and the task gets forwarded to another device, which fulfills the objective of creating flexible and resistant operational infrastructures.

Applications of Grid Computing

Currently, there are five general applications for Grid Computing:

  • Super distributed computing- They are those applications whose needs can not get met in a single node. The needs occur at specific times of time and consume many resources.
  • Systems distributed in real time- They are applications that generate a flow of data at high speed that must be analyzed and processed in real time.
  • Specific services- Here we do not take into account the computing power and storage capacity but the resources that an organization can consider as not necessary. Grid presents these resources to the organization.
  • The intensive process of data- Are those applications that make great use of storage space. These types of applications overwhelm the storage capacity of a single node, and the data gets distributed throughout the grid. In addition to the benefits of the increase in space, the distribution of data along the grid allows access to them in a distributed manner.
  • Virtual collaboration environments- Area associated with the concept of Tele-immersion. So that the substantial computational resources of the grid and its distributed nature are used to generate distributed 3D virtual environments.

There are real applications that make use of mini-grids, which gets focused on the field of research in the field of physical sciences, medical and information processing. Also, there are various applications in the field of road safety. For example, this system allows translating the risk of injuring a pedestrian and the bumper resistance of a vehicle into a series of data that help design the most appropriate protection solution.

Among the first grid projects, Information Power Grid (IPG) emerged, which allows the integration and management of resources from NASA centers. The SETI @ Home project worldwide, of extra-terrestrial life research, or search for intelligent life in space, can be considered as a precursor of this technology. Although the idea of ​​Grid Computing is much more ambitious since not only, it is about sharing CPU cycles to perform complex calculations. But it is looking for the creation of a distributed computing infrastructure, with the interconnection of different networks, the definition of standards, development of procedures for the construction of applications, etc.

Computer science is, in short, the study of information (“data”), and how to manipulate it (“algorithms”) to solve problems. Mostly in theory, but sometimes also in practice.

You have to know that computer science is not the study of computers. Nor do they strictly need the use of computers. Data and algorithms can get processed with paper and pencil. Computer science is very similar to mathematics. So now many people prefer to call the subject “Computer.”

Often, computer science is confused with three fields, which are related but which are not the same.

Three Fields

  • Computer engineering- involves the study of data and algorithms but in the context of computer hardware. How do electrical components communicate? How to design microprocessors? How to implement efficient chips?
  • Software engineering- You can think of this branch as “applied computer science,” where computer scientists create abstract theories, while software engineers write real-world programs that combine theory with algorithms.
  • Information technology- This branch involves the software and hardware created so far. IT professionals help maintain networks and assist when others have problems with their devices or programs.

The disciplines of computer science

If you plan to study Computer Science, you should know that there are not two universities in the world that have the same curriculum. Universities can not agree on what “informatics” covers. Nor do they manage to decide which disciplines belong to the category of computer science.

  • Bioinformatics- It includes the use of information technology to measure, analyze and understand the complexity of biology. It involves the analysis of extensive data, molecular models and data simulators.
  • Theory of the computation- It is the study of algorithms and applied mathematics. It is not just about the creation of new algorithms or the implementation of existing algorithms. It is also about the discovery of new methods and the production of possible theorems.
  • Graphics computing- Is responsible for studying how data can get manipulated and transformed into visual representations that a human being understands. That includes themes such as realistic photo images, dynamic image generation, modeling, and 3D animation.
  • Video game development- It refers to the creation of entertainment games for PC, web or mobile devices. Graphics engines often involve unique algorithms and data structures optimized for real-time interaction.
  • Networks- Consists of the study of distributed computer systems. And how communications can get improved within and between networks.
  • Robotics- It deals with the creation of algorithms that control machines. It includes research to improve the interaction between robots and humans — interactions of robots with robots. And interactions with the environment.
  • Computer security- It deals with the development of algorithms to protect applications or software from intruders, malware or spam. It includes computer security, security in the cloud and the network.

A university degree should teach you at least the following:

  1. How computer systems work at the software and hardware level.
  1. How to write code in different programming languages.
  1. How to apply algorithms and data structures naturally.
  1. Mathematical concepts, such as graphics theory or formal logic.
  1. How to design a compiler, an operating system, and a computer.

Problem-solving is the primary skill to be developed by any computer scientist, software engineer or computer scientist. If you are not curious and you are not attracted to solving things, then you will not be pleased studying this career.

Also, technology is one of the fastest growing fields in the world so if you do not want to be at the forefront of new technologies, new programming languages, new devices, etc.

The formulas to turn enormous amounts of data into information with economic value become the great asset of the multinationals.

Algorithms are a set of programming instructions that, logically introduced in software, allow to analyze a set of previously selected data and establish an “output” or solution. These algorithms are being used by companies mainly to detect patterns or trends, and based on this, generate useful data to adapt their products or services better.

It is not a novelty for companies to obtain data from advanced analytics to study the characteristics of the product they plan to put on the market; the price to which it wants to place it or even private decisions as sensitive as the remuneration policy for its employees. The surprising thing is the dimension.

It is not only that the number of data in circulation has recently multiplied to volumes that are difficult to imagine – it is estimated that humanity has generated 90% of the information of the whole history in the last five years. The possibilities of interconnecting them have also grown dramatically.

Algorithm revolution

This revolution has contributed to each of the millions of people who give their data every day for free and continuously, either uploading a photo to Facebook, buying with a credit card or going through the metro turnstiles with a magnetic card.

In the heat of giants like Facebook and Google, who base their enormous power on the combination of data and algorithms, more and more companies are investing increasing amounts of money in everything related to big data. It is the case of BBVA, whose bet is aimed both at invisible projects for customers -as the engines that allow processing more information to analyze the needs of its users- and at other easily identifiable initiatives, such as the one that enables bank customers to. Forecast the situation of your finances at the end of the month.

Dangers and Risks


The vast possibilities offered by the algorithms are not without risks. The dangers are many: they range from cybersecurity – to deal with hacking or theft of formulas – to the privacy of the users, going through the possible biases of the machines.

Thus, a recent study by the University Carlos III concluded that Facebook uses advertising for sensitive data of 25% of European citizens, who get tagged in the social network according to matters as private as their political ideology, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity or health.
Cybersecurity, for its part, has become the primary concern of investors around the world: 41% said they were “apprehensive” about this issue, according to the Global Investors Survey of 2018.

What is the future of the algorithms?

This technology is fully functional to meet the objectives of almost any organization today, and although we do not know, is present in many well-known firms in the market. Its capabilities of analysis, prediction and report generation for decision making make it a powerful strategic tool.

Algorithms, either through specific applications or with the help of Business Intelligence or Big Data solutions open the way to take advantage of the information available in our company and turn it into business opportunities.

Thanks to the algorithms we know better how our clients and prospects behave, what they need, what they expect from us. And they also allow us to anticipate the actions of our competitors and market trends.

Like any technological innovation that has revolutionized our way of understanding the world since man is a man, it will take us some time to become aware of this new reality and learn to make the most of it. As citizens and as communicators we can turn algorithms into valuable allies.

The algorithm is at the heart of technologies potentially as powerful as artificial intelligence. Nowadays, algorithms are the basis of machine learning technologies, which surprise us every day with new skills. And it is behind techniques of the setting of virtual assistants or autonomous vehicles.