Cloud computing is a fast growing service, but what is it, and what does it actually do?
Cloud computing is Internet-based computing, where shared resources, software and information are provided to computers and other devices on-demand, like electricity!
How does it work?
Cloud computing is an emerging trend of sharing files. You may already be familiar with sites like Facebook, Hotmail, Gmail, Flickr and other similar sites already functioning with cloud technology. In a nutshell you subscribe to a site that hosts files for you that you can then access from any computer by simply logging into your personal space.
Is it SAFE?
Online services make use of multiple server locations and redundancies to make sure that their services and your data are as secure as possible. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t keep your own backups of important files.
Is the future cloudy?
The next step is software and hardware sharing for both business and home. This could be in the form of online workspaces to collaborate with team members where each one of the team can login and work on the same document. Or for business that is not quiet big enough for an IT team could take advantage of online servers and bypass the need to purchase expensive hardware.
What does my USB stick have to do with it?
Did you know that you can save your documents, assignments, photos, and spreadsheets to an online workspace and then open and print from any computer anywhere in the world that has internet access. So no need to carry them around on a USB drive, unless you have no internet!
Cloud computing is already changing the way we use both our computers and the internet. Many people already have online email accounts and online picture sharing.