May
23
Keep Your Head In The Cloud
Cloud computing is computing done over the Internet. The Internet is the global computer network. Because of its complexity and overall volume, it would be very difficult to draw the Internet in a schematic. Whenever the Internet is graphically represented, it is done so as a cloud. The Internet is the cloud. Cloud computing is an umbrella term that encompasses just about any service that is hosted over an internet connection.
The easiest example would be a hosted email solution. Most small companies don’t have their own email servers. They pay a company to host their email for them. The host owns and maintains all of the hardware and software necessary to keep the email working.
There are many advantages to cloud computing. You don’t have to purchase any software licenses or hardware. There’s no maintenance to worry about. The host does all of these things for you. All you have to do is pay a flat fee that’s based on how much or how little of the host’s resources you utilize.
This is great for small and startup companies because there is no initial investment to get started. In most cases, provisioning new clients is so automated that the host doesn’t have to do much of anything at all to get things going. And there’s no planning necessary either. If you need more email accounts or space one month, just ask and the host will provide. Don’t need as much space next month? No problem. The host can just reduce the amount of space that is allocated to you. It’s all about flexibility, affordability, and ease of use. You only pay for what you use.
To take advantage of cloud computing, you must be connected to the cloud. Although that’s the concept’s biggest downfall, it’s not really much of a shortcoming at all. Nowadays it’s not a question of how often you’re connected to the Internet…it’s how often you’re not connected. Internet connectivity is very inexpensive and even free in many cases. You can go just about anywhere and get free WIFI Internet access. How many places do you go that don’t have WIFI? If it’s a lot, then you can always get an air card from your cellular service provider. Staying connected is easy; don’t let it prevent you from taking the leap.
Cloud computing is a wonderful concept that many businesses can leverage to save time, money, and increase productivity and mobility. You only pay for what you use and the solutions are inherently scalable. You don’t ever have to plan for expansions or reductions or depreciate capital investments. In most cases, there’s no term commitment, so canceling the service is just as easy as starting it. New services are getting plugged into the cloud everyday and because of competition, they’re cheaper than ever.
© 2010 Engler Information Technologies, Inc.