Cloud Computing

I heard this term for the first time recently.  I was not quite sure what it meant so I had to do a little research.  According to Wikipedia Could Computing is defined as the following:

“Cloud computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared servers provide resources, software, and data to computers and other devices on demand, as with the electricity grid. Cloud computing is a natural evolution of the widespread adoption of virtualization, service-oriented architecture and utility computing. Details are abstracted from consumers, who no longer have need for expertise in, or control over, the technology infrastructure "in the cloud" that supports them.

Cloud computing describes a new supplement, consumption, and delivery model for IT services based on the Internet, and it typically involves over-the-Internet provision of dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources. It is a byproduct and consequence of the ease-of-access to remote computing sites provided by the Internet. This frequently takes the form of web-based tools or applications that users can access and use through a web browser as if it were a program installed locally on their own computer.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides a somewhat more objective and specific definition here. The term "cloud" is used as a metaphor for the Internet, based on the cloud drawing used in the past to represent the telephone network, and later to depict the Internet in computer network diagrams as an abstraction of the underlying infrastructure it represents. Typical cloud computing providers deliver common business applications online that are accessed from another Web service or software like a Web browser, while the software and data are stored on servers.

Most cloud computing infrastructures consist of services delivered through common centers and built on servers. Clouds often appear as single points of access for consumers' computing needs. Commercial offerings are generally expected to meet quality of service (QoS) requirements of customers, and typically include service level agreements (SLAs). The major cloud service providers include Amazon, Rackspace Cloud, Sales force, Skytap, Microsoft and Google. Some of the larger IT firms that are actively involved in cloud computing are Fujitsu, Dell, Red Hat, Hewlett Packard, IBM, VMware, and NetApp.”

 

I bet you now know more about Cloud Computing then you ever expect to know :-)  Go impress your friends with your new knowledge. 

Cloud computing has many beneficial uses and it may be the way home personal computing is moving in the near future. This article from AOL Discover suggests we “Get on the band wagon” and join in where big business like Amazon.com have ready gone. 

 

Get Smart: Jump on the Web Storage Bandwagon

Humorist Dave Barry once said, “The Internet is the most important single development in the history of human communication since the invention of call waiting.” The Internet has certainly come a long way in recent years, and the current popular trend amongst technology aficionados isCloud Computing, which stores your applications on a shared data server and allows you to access them from any location as long as you have a Web connection.

You can easily store photos, videos and other relevant files and documents without worrying about losing them. If your hard drive were to crash at the blink of an eye, you’re better off backing up your important files online to avoid losing valuable information and documents on your computer. There are countless horror stories of individuals who have lost all their data or important documents in one fell swoop when their laptops were misplaced or stolen, so a backup plan (pardon the pun) is important.
Cloud computing (the “cloud” refers to the Internet) is certainly the wave of the future: According to Gartner Inc. figures, by 2014 revenue from worldwide cloud services is projected to reach $148.8 billion. It’s a trend that's not only picking up steam at companies, but among individual users who are savvy about the importance of keeping files and data secure.
Global market intelligence firm IDC defines cloud services as “consumer and business products, services and solutions delivered and consumed in real-time over the Internet.” These services are usually offered on a subscription basis -- a worthwhile price to pay to guard against the security of important files and documents.

Benefits of Web Storage

With cloud-storage devices, you can access your content from the office, home or any other location in the increasingly Web-connected corners of the globe.

Web storage devices are generally secure, minimizing the risk of data loss. They provide easy-to-use storage and the ability to efficiently share files with colleagues, friends and family. According to USByte.com, “Instead of going [to the] trouble of buying, connecting and supporting (and sometimes repairing) your personal backup system…just download some simple software from the Web, subscribe to a service and upload those critical data you wish to keep in a safe place.”

Enter a whole host of Web storage services, including ElephantDrive, Mozy and SugarSync. PC World has high praise for Mozy, describing it as a great service that “works in the background protecting your data.” And SugarSync has been lauded by critics who enjoy the fact that any change they make in one of their computers will automatically appear in the others, thereby reducing the tedious need to continuously email files here and there.

Simply Seniors Computer Tutors is now a proud affiliate of Mozy!  Log on to our web site and click the link to set up your FREE Mozy data storage account.  www.ComputerTutorHelp.Us

These services essentially make life simpler by allowing you to store photos, your favorite music, and important personal and work documents in one secure location without incurring unexpected loss. Let’s face it, computers or mobile phones aren’t always reliable and mishaps can happen. Web storage devices reduce the risk of a calamity, which is always a good thing.
-- Tara Taghizadeh – the original source: http://daol.aol.com/articles/jump-on-the-web-storage-bandwagon/?icid=maing|main5|dl8|sec1_lnk5|34681

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