What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is becoming increasingly popular and most of us use cloud computing without even thinking about it. Many huge companies use cloud computing to store and share information.

Amazon, YouTube, Google and Hotmail are just a few examples of major companies who store and spread their information via the cloud.

For the private individual or business, cloud computing offers an easy way of establishing an online presence with the minimum of computer software or hardware. This is because a cloud server delivers computing services over the internet and makes both software and hardware available for the use of website owners, bloggers, businesses and anyone else who needs to have a web presence. There are many advantages to doing this.

You do not have to carry out maintenance yourself or upgrade and buy hardware because this is part of the cloud server service.

Another advantage is that you have access to often expensive programs without the need for buying them yourself.

Programs such as Word are available to use as part of your subscription to a Cloud server provider. The cloud server delivers these programs to you virtually so you no longer have to buy them yourself.

Cloud computing gets its name from the diagrams used when the system was first devised and resembled a cloud shape used to describe the many strands of interconnectivity.

Instead of a specific server located in a physical location, the big difference to the cloud system is that it employs a network of servers located over a wide range of geographical locations. Google reputedly has thousands in their cloud network.

All data is stored over the network so all information is mirrored elsewhere and can be used to back up service, even if one of the servers goes down or your site becomes unexpectedly busy.

When you host your internet presence on a cloud server, your site should work seamlessly and will not crash under the strain of demand.

A cloud computing system is flexible to your needs because when traffic is slow, your resources are simply released back into the cloud.

It can be used to pick up the slack when demand gets busy elsewhere and you do not have to pay for what you do not use.

Cloud computing is a greener way of powering the internet because hardware can be shared and delivered virtually to the end user and it ensures that all storage centres are using their resources at all times. It is a more organic system that responds to supply and demand.

One reason that cloud computing is becoming increasingly popular as a hosting solution is because it is so convenient.

It is so much easier to access information at all times, because the information you have is no longer physically stored on one computer but is stored in the cloud.

This means that as you modify or work on your documents, the updated versions will automatically appear on all your devices and computers.

With the growing popularity of smart phones and tablets, this means that you can network all your information together.

Your home or business network can form its own cloud of connectivity as you share and update information wherever and whenever you want.