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Computer Support For Individuals And Small Business |
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11/4/10 |
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Cloud Computing |
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In this sense the word “cloud” is a metaphor for the internet. “Cloud computing” refers to computing services provided over the internet.
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This includes “software-as-a-service, platform-as-a-service, infrastructure-as-a-service, and data storage. Simply put, software (such as word processing or spreadsheets as well as mission critical systems), networking infrastructure (servers, routers, etc.), and data archives would be provided by large servers and "server farms," and accessed through the internet.
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The actual physical computers, i.e. large servers such as mainframes, would be located in a central location and would “serve” multiple sites and multiple customers. Both hardware and software would be maintained at the central location relieving companies of the expense of building and maintaining their own infrastructure. In effect, the desktop computer becomes simply a terminal to access the server (sounds a bit like the old days of “time-sharing” for those of you who remember that far back).
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But now it’s not just desktop terminals as in the old days. Phones, tablets, laptops, netbooks, and other devices can serve as a terminal as well as providing other functionality.
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This paradigm, aimed primarily at larger businesses, is drawing a significant amount of venture capital and other investment, and is expected to grow rapidly over the next few years. But how does it affect the rest of us?
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There are already a number of cloud computing applications we use without giving it a thought. One such application that has been around for a while is web-based email (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.). Another appealing and widely used application is offsite backup. There are many companies offering this product at a reasonable price. Many educational institutions are offering online classes. Consider also Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social networking sites.
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There are more and more types of cloud computing applications becoming available. This is a growing trend and will become vital to most of us, both personally and professionally, as the kinks are worked out and the internet becomes faster and faster.
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