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Cloud’s the Word, part 1
You’ve probably heard the term “the cloud” tossed around lately. Commercials on TV will tell you that the way we’ll solve the world’s problems is by leveraging “the cloud,” and internet ads are constantly pushing “cloud storage,” “cloud services,” or “cloud-based technology.” The concept of “the cloud” is everywhere. But for those of us who don’t deal with technology daily, the concept can be a bit confusing.
So what is the cloud?
Simply put, the cloud is the internet itself. You can substitute the word “internet” for the word “cloud” in most cases, like “cloud-based services,” “cloud storage,” and “managed in the cloud.” But the term has really come to mean more than that.
As the internet grows, storage and services have become cheaper, faster and easier. There are thousands of devices that connect to the internet. The central “hub” of data is beginning to move away from the home or office and is moving into the internet itself. All these “cloud-based” services are designed to give you faster, more reliable access to the software and data that you need, from any device that you use and from any location. Just a few years ago, free cloud-based email services had a maximum mailbox size of 50 or 100 MBs of space. Now there are services (like Google’s Gmail) that offer 7,000 MBs for free, and that size is growing.
A few examples of cloud-based services that many of us use today are things like…
- Webmail (Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or Hotmail) that is hosted out on the internet in a building full of servers that you’ll never have to see, maintain, or access.
- Websites that are available almost 100% of the time, for very little cost per month.
- Storage and backup through great services like Carbonite, Mozy Pro and Dropbox.
Check back next week for Cloud’s the Word, part 2!
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