Cloud Computing

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is the practice of handling network of remote servers which are hosted on the net to manage, store, and process data, rather than a personal computer or a local server.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing, for all its ubiquity, can be very confusing. Really, it’s nothing more than storing and accessing information remotely. Rather than maintaining information or even applications on an in-house server, that data is housed on servers located elsewhere. While the term “cloud” might make you think that the information is stored in some ethereal location, the truth is that all data and all cloud-based applications, are simply stored on someone else’s hardware.

Why Does Cloud Computing Matter?

Cloud computing is important for many different reasons. Internet connectivity has enabled new technologies and new capabilities that were not possible even just a few years ago. How does cloud computing work, though? Where is that information stored? These are important questions to answer.

In the simplest explanation, there is no cloud. The cloud is really just the Internet, and your data is hosted on a server farm located somewhere in the world. The real difference between cloud computing and normal computing is that your computer’s hard drive is not involved. Storing data or programs on your computer’s hard drive is called local storage. All the information your computer needs to access is stored locally, on the machine itself. With cloud computing, that information is stored somewhere else, possibly thousands of miles away. Your computer’s connection to the Internet is what allows it to access that data when you need it. So, really, cloud computing could also be called Internet computing – it boils down to the same thing.

What Does Cloud Computing Enable?

We mentioned previously that cloud computing has enabled new technologies and benefits. What are those? Actually, there are quite a few things. Think of remote cloud-based storage, through options like Dropbox and Google Drive. In these scenarios, rather than storing gigs and gigs of information on your computer’s hard drive, that data is stored elsewhere and accessed by the Internet.

You have an account with the storage service, and any device you connect to that account can access the information. This has allowed the spread of information and improved information sharing for consumers and for businesses. It has also reduced the demand for larger and larger hard drives on PCs and laptops.

Another thing that cloud computing has enabled is software as a service, or SaaS. There are plenty of examples of this in the real world, but let’s use Microsoft’s Office 365. Like the standard Office suite, 365 contains all the programs most Office users need, including Word, Excel and the like. Those programs are downloaded to the computer from the cloud, and they are also updated and maintained remotely. This allows users to pay for what they want, and never buy another version of Office. An ongoing subscription fee allows them to have the most current version of all the Office programs at any time.

Cloud computing has radically changed the way software and storage work, but it is not done yet. There are many new and emerging uses and benefits to cloud computing, as storage increases and connection speeds continue to improve.