Cooliris. VoIP on Web2.0. What cloud computing really means | Cloud Computing. Cloud computing is all the rage. "It's become the phrase du jour," says Gartner senior analyst Ben Pring, echoing many of his peers. The problem is that (as with Web 2.0) everyone seems to have a different definition. As a metaphor for the Internet, "the cloud" is a familiar cliché, but when combined with "computing," the meaning gets bigger and fuzzier. Some analysts and vendors define cloud computing narrowly as an updated version of utility computing: basically virtual servers available over the Internet. Others go very broad, arguing anything you consume outside the firewall is "in the cloud," including conventional outsourcing. [ Stay on top of the state of the cloud with InfoWorld's "Cloud Computing Deep Dive" special report. Cloud computing comes into focus only when you think about what IT always needs: a way to increase capacity or add capabilities on the fly without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software. 1. 2.
Web Highlighter and Sticky Notes, Online Bookmarking and Annotation, Personal Learning Network. Cloud computing. Cloud computing metaphor: For a user, the network elements representing the provider-rendered services are invisible, as if obscured by a cloud. Cloud computing is a computing term or metaphor that evolved in the late 1990s, based on utility and consumption of computer resources. Cloud computing involves application systems which are executed within the cloud and operated through internet enabled devices. Purely cloud computing does not rely on the use of cloud storage as it will be removed upon users download action. Clouds can be classified as public, private and hybrid.[1][2] Overview[edit] Cloud computing[3] relies on sharing of resources to achieve coherence and economies of scale, similar to a utility (like the electricity grid) over a network.[2] At the foundation of cloud computing is the broader concept of converged infrastructure and shared services.
Cloud computing, or in simpler shorthand just "the cloud", also focuses on maximizing the effectiveness of the shared resources. Cloud Computing. Cloud Computing Applications. Getting Started With Cloud Storage. Matt Stauffer Once Microsoft commercials start touting their ability to keep your data in the “cloud”, you know the word has gone mainstream. Let’s get the basics out of the way–what is the cloud, and how can you benefit from cloud storage today? What is the Cloud? Simply put, the cloud is the Internet. The reason for the new term is that cloud computing marks the movement of data and functions that have historically stayed on the local computer to Internet servers. “Cloud computing” is a related term that often encompasses cloud storage as described above, but also hosting applications in the cloud.
For a more in-depth introduction to cloud computing, read Walt Mossberg’s WSJ article Learning About Everything Under the ‘Cloud.’ Why should I want to keep my data in the cloud? There are many reasons to want to keep your data local. However, there are many compelling benefits of storing your data in the cloud.
How can I keep my data in the cloud? (photo from flickr user akakumo ) Getting Started With Cloud Storage.