You’ve already used a form of cloud computing if you have an email account with a web-based email service like Gmail, Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail. Your account software and storage resides on the service’s cloud servers, not on your own computer. Some experts say that the desktop PC will soon become obsolete and all it will take to do cloud computing in the near future is to have a monitor connected to an ISP and have the appropriate apps on a smartphone.
The term “cloud” is an apt metaphor for this emerging use of the Internet…it’s infinitely big, somewhere in the sky, and all blurry around the edges. Cloud computing is. about. a general term used to describe a number of different trends; they all involve the internet and how computers are used. Most computer experts agree that computing power and activity will extend far beyond current levels, completely changing the way businesses and individuals use the computer.
Industry insiders are pretty sure that cloud computing will change the future of IT forever, but there is still a lot of speculation about exactly how it will play out. All the major players are fighting to get ahead of the wave; companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Yahoo, AT&T, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, IBM, Intel, Oracle, Unisys, Cognizant, GE, and hundreds more. Even in the face of all this anticipation and excitement, there are many IT professionals who are still not sure exactly what it is all about. They are not sure if security and privacy issues can be handled properly or what kind of impact it will have on their jobs.
Cloud computing generally offers customers more services for less cost; that is the basic advantage and promise. Customers must entrust their personal and business data to remote services, but in exchange, they get access to more software and a broader range of services than they normally could otherwise pay for. Cloud customers become members, or subscribers, of cloud service providers at very reasonable rates and can access vast libraries of resources as needed and store all their files remotely for safekeeping. The providers do all the heavy lifting and provide the infrastructure for the service or software; customers enjoy all the benefits without having to pay any of the development costs. All customers pay for is the monthly usage of the services, similar to how customers now pay their monthly fees to a utility or telephone company that owns all the wires, poles, and power stations.
Consequently, some vendors and analysts have defined cloud computing as “utility computing,” where data centers are similar to power plants. What power plants did for the use of electricity, data centers are now being built to provide virtual servers available to the customer base over the internet. Others have defined it by saying that everything digital that is consumed outside the firewall of their personal workstations is “in the cloud”. As access to electricity became more available to customers, it spawned all sorts of new inventions for using it. Similarly, it is anticipated that an incredible number of new products and services will be created for cloud users as the industry develops.
Cloud computing offers a variety of service types: infrastructure, platform, software, storage, security, data, sandbox, desktop, application program interface (API), and hundreds more. For example, customers using software as a service will typically rent the software applications and databases. Cloud providers own and manage the platforms and infrastructure on which applications run, similar to how web hosting is now provided to individual users. Subscribers access cloud-based applications through a web browser or a lightweight desktop or mobile application. The cloud service provider also provides the data center and the server to store your data at a remote location from the client’s computer; which increases security and reduces the need for a large IT staff. Developers claim that cloud computing allows entrepreneurs to get their applications up and running much faster than conventional means, with less maintenance and improved manageability. It also enables businesses and individuals to adjust resources more quickly to meet fluctuating and unpredictable business demands through access to network IT consultants and support technicians.
Cloud computing also offers a significant shift in workload. Computers on the local network don’t have to do all the work when it comes to running applications. The computer network that includes the cloud, or the data center, handles all the applications for you. Customer demands for software and hardware are therefore substantially decreased. The only software that the user really needs to run on their personal computer is the cloud computing system interface software, which could be any conventional browser available on the market. The cloud network would take care of all the rest online.
Right now, the market is standing on the sidewalk, watching all the cloud options unfold like a parade around the corner. There is some apprehension about security because companies will have to trust the provider to store their data remotely and securely, and to protect it from hackers, hacking, viruses, etc. There is also a slight fear of being “hostage” by the cloud provider once a company has all its data on their servers; and not just in service fees, but also in upgrades and storage expansion. Users tend to be a “captive audience” and while they might switch cloud computing providers if things get tough, the biggest fear is loss of control of proprietary information and technology downtime due to problems in the network infrastructure between the user and the data center. . What would happen if a solar flare damaged not only a data center, but also the microwave and satellite transmission system to the end user? Without a dedicated backup system, entire companies could be vulnerable to situations outside of their direct control that could put them out of business.
For Internet marketers, cloud computing is changing both the media and the content of what is traded. Vendors and marketing organizations are being forced to launch new products and services that change the way their markets manage their IT assets.
Marketers now have access to new technology tools using a wide range of cloud applications, which allow them to transform their marketing campaigns using web-based platforms and infrastructure. Internet marketers are always looking for an edge to make more sales, and the race is on to be the first to adopt cloud computing because it saves time and money. The more the customer base converts to cloud computing, the greater the pressure on marketers to be more efficient, innovative, and do more with less. People lose their jobs and income quickly when they can’t produce results, so those who can do the work and spend less money will survive.
However, individuals and businesses fear change and like to stay on familiar ground, and will do so until forced to transition. This is precisely where we are in the cloud revolution… waiting to take the first step… and while we wait, giant corporations are developing devices, tricks and business models that will forever change the way we use computers. .
