What exactly is cloud computing and why is it important for you to know about it? Hearing the term "cloud computing" for the first time around would bring a plethora of things to mind. So before you pack your mountain gear and climb Mt. Everest to surf the net amidst the clouds, it might be a good idea to first read through some overview on what cloud computing is and after three minutes, you would have a fair notion of what the buzz is all about.
For starters, the cloud in the term refers to Internet as a system. Have you ever seen drawings of groups of computers connected to the information superhighway? Then you must have surely noticed that the symbol used for Internet is a cloud. Since the birth of the World Wide Web, a lot of geeks and gurus have toyed with the idea of using Internet as a global platform, a kind of a scalable system that delivers web based applications your business need without worrying about the kind of IT infrastructure you have.
Business applications have always looked appealing to the business sector, particularly the small to medium enterprise, who would also like to use available business applications to run their businesses. However, while it is true that these myriad of business applications do help in managing the day to day operations of the business, it is downright expensive and sometimes requires you to upgrade your existing IT infrastructure. These business applications also needs a data center for it to run smoothly, a stable power, reliable network, cooling systems, storage, a host of third party applications for it to survive, and to top it all, an IT team to monitor and supervise everything. Whew! That's quite a lot, right? This is why a lot of small and medium enterprises would rather play it conservatively and let everything stay as they are.
But wait! The dawn may be breaking for these businesses because it is now becoming apparent that cloud computing is coming their way. Cloud computing makes it possible for small businesses to make use of the best business software available on a shared data center. Where before you need complex hardware, software, and a team of experts to run your data center, all you would need now is just your computer, an Internet connection, and you can choose from among the horde of web based business applications on the data center! Think of cloud computing akin to your utility provider, you just plug the cable in, and you're good to go! Fast, easy, reliable, and the best part is that it costs way below than having your own data center.
Isn't this the most enlightening three minutes you have ever spent? Now, you can definitely hold your head up high and tell your friends about cloud computing.
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