Cloud Computing

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is the next stage in the Internet's evolution, providing the means through which everything — from computing power to computing infrastructure, applications, business processes to personal collaboration — can be delivered to you as a service wherever and whenever you need.


In cloud computing, the word "cloud" (also phrased as "the cloud") is used as a metaphor for "the Internet," so the phrase cloud computing means a type of Internet-based computing, where different services (such as servers, storage and applications) are delivered to an organization's computers and devices through the Internet. The “cloud” in cloud computing can be defined as the set of hardware, networks, storage, services, and interfaces that combine to deliver aspects of computing as a service.


Cloud computing is a model for delivering information technology services in which resources are retrieved from the internet through web-based tools and applications, rather than a direct connection to a server. Data and software packages are stored in servers. However, cloud computing structure allows access to information as long as an electronic device has access to the web. This type of system allows employees to work remotely. Imagine that you have one company and all employees required hard drive and software they needed to do their job. Just buy computer are not enough because you also need to purchase software /or software licenses. Whenever your number of employees expands, you need to purchase more software or make sure your current software license allows another user, which cost highly to your company.


Cloud computing come as a solution, instead of buying a suite of software and install it on each computer, you only required to load one application that application would allow workers to log in to a Web-based service which having all the programs or software. Remote machines owned by another company would run everything from e-mail to word processing to complex data analysis programs. It's called cloud computing, and it could change the entire computer industry.


The cloud computing system having all the significant workload shift thus local computers no longer needed to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to running applications. The hardware and software demands on the user’s side decrease. The only thing the user's computer needs to be able to run is the cloud computing system's interface software, which can be as simple as a Web browser, and the cloud's network takes care of the rest.


In its most simple description, cloud computing is taking services ("cloud services") and moving them outside an organizations firewall on shared systems. Applications and services are accessed via the Web, instead of your hard drive. In cloud computing, the services are delivered and used over the Internet and are paid for by cloud customer (your business) -- typically on an "as-needed, pay-per-use" business model. The cloud infrastructure is maintained by the cloud provider, not the individual cloud customer.


Cloud services include the delivery of software, infrastructure, and storage over the Internet (either as separate components or a complete platform) based on user demand. Cloud services is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS).


Cloud computing networks are large groups of servers and cloud service providers that usually take advantage of low-cost computing technology, with specialized connections to spread data-processing chores across them. This shared IT infrastructure contains large pools of systems that are linked together. Virtualization techniques are often used to maximize the power of cloud computing.


Currently, the standards for connecting the computer systems and the software needed to make cloud computing work are not fully defined at present time, leaving many companies to define their own cloud computing technologies.