Cloud computing means storing and accessing data and programs over the internet instead of your computer's hard drive. The idea is that computing will increasingly be delivered as a service, over the internet, from vast warehouses of shared machines. Many things work this way already, from email and photo albums to calendars and shared documents. Today, many companies are moving their applications into the cloud. Fitbit, General Electric, Netflix, BBC and Facebook are some of the companies that are using cloud computing for various purposes.
There is little debate about whether the cloud is great technology evolution. The benefits of increased productivity, cost savings and improved efficiency, plus the ability to support and empower a broader range of users via the cloud are clear. Rather, the debate is about how soon companies will feel comfortable about moving mission-critical computing capabilities, or parts of them, to the cloud, which in turn depends on how soon vendors develop the right solutions that are flexible, widely available and have established a proven track record.
There is little debate about whether the cloud is great technology evolution. The benefits of increased productivity, cost savings and improved efficiency, plus the ability to support and empower a broader range of users via the cloud are clear. Rather, the debate is about how soon companies will feel comfortable about moving mission-critical computing capabilities, or parts of them, to the cloud, which in turn depends on how soon vendors develop the right solutions that are flexible, widely available and have established a proven track record.
