March 28, 2011
1. Cloud computing refers to the providing of computing resources on-demand through a network. This ability can be compared to the supply of a utility. Utility services are available to the users in a simple way without the users needing to know the details of how the services are provided.
2. Another simple explanation for cloud computing is “internet centric software”.
3. It is a broad array of web-based computing services that allow users to obtain a wide range of computing functions on a “pay-as-you-go” basis that previously required tremendous hardware/software investments and an I.T. department to manage.
4. Cloud computing is the accessing of resources and services needed to perform computing functions that require dynamically changing needs.
5. Cloud computing means: outsourced, pay-as-you-go, on-demand, somewhere in the Internet.
As you can see there are as many definitions of cloud computing as there are I.T. experts.
The concept of cloud computing dates back to the 1960’s with John McCarthy, a full professor at Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab. He was the first to suggest that computing time-sharing technology might lead to a future in which computing power and even specific application could be sold like a utility business model. This notion faded in the 1970’s because the hardware, software and communications were not ready for his concept. Now, his computing model has re-surfaced in the form of “cloud computing”.
Some Fortune 500 companies, such as Google and IBM, have invested in researching cloud computing technology. Although they have not completely switched to these technologies they recognize there is growing movement towards it. Microsoft has also thrown its hat in the ring and is currently working towards cloud computing technologies.
Amazon was one of the first major companies to employ cloud computing, creating dense technological networks that enabled users to access various materials and allowed the company to vary the access by demand.
Cloud computing technology was developed as a means to increase ease of use and user-friendliness while providing great benefit to the companies using it. Many different types of companies can benefit from cloud computing technology. These early adapters are the large companies that exist online and require large amounts of on demand computation power, various vendor software applications, complex search techniques and large data storage.
Cloud can also be highly beneficial to companies that run many different types of services or have many functions because it can both optimize performance and create better organization of these tasks and utilities.
Cloud computing creates a network among many different types of Internet connections and shares those connections to create an organized system of applications and services.
It also uses a combination of hardware and software to satisfy a variety of client needs with the resources and costs shared among them.
Cloud computing technology can satisfy a variety of clients from large corporations to small companies. There are benefits of cloud computing for both types of companies and their users such as:
1. computing resources available on-demand through a network
2. scalable computing power
4. no need to purchase the latest software and hardware
5. increased ease of upkeep and everyday operation management
6. increased ease of access to the companies data and sophisticated retrieval techniques.
7. ease of use and user friendliness
8. greatly reduced cost as high as 30%
There are savings to be had by a company willing to move their information system to the “cloud”. It’s worth taking a look at especially during these times where it’s vital to save on costs.
Sandra Tiffany wanted to share her knowledge and experience about the growth and maturity of the cloud computing business world. Read the various articles about how business has applied cloud computing and the difference between grid and cloud computing There are books, auctions and information and don’t forget to look at the “Deal of the Day”.