By choosing
cloud computing the user avoids the need to download dedicated software thereby reducing costs
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In the Cloud
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing has taken the IT world by storm. It refers to the delivery of hosted IT services via the Internet whereby shared resources, software and information are provided to computers and other devices on demand. The system offers a highly convenient means of accessing computing services, irrespective of the hardware or physical location. It typically avoids the need to download or install dedicated software on a server thereby reducing hardware costs, and reducing space and power expenditure. (The term ‘cloud computing’, incidentally, was inspired by the cloud symbol which is often used to represent the internet in flowcharts and diagrams.)
A cloud service differs from traditional hosting in three distinct ways by being:
Sold on demand - typically by user or mailbox
Flexible - companies are able to increase or decrease licenses and to access exactly the amount of a service that they require
Normally fully managed by the reseller and provider
Interest in cloud computing has been accelerated by significant innovations in virtualisation and distributed computing as well as improved access to high-speed broadband connections. A cloud can be either private or public: a public cloud sells services to anyone via the Internet, while a private cloud is a proprietary network or data centre which supplies hosted services to a limited number of individuals. The goal of all cloud computing is to provide easy, scalable access to computing resources and IT services.
