Businesses rely on solid computer technologies and networking capabilities. The way the world does business is being dictated by changes in technology and communications. One of the most talked about technologies on the horizon is that of Cloud Computing.
This is an exciting breakthrough that consists of a pool of shared technological resources. It allows an on-demand use of networked resources that allows a company to pick and choose the resources that they will need and use these resources only when they need to use them.
Cloud computing can be thought of as a huge pool of shared resources that are made available to members that are connected to the cloud by means of a hardware or software solution. The ides of cloud computing allows smaller businesses to remain competitive without having to pay the huge prices associated with implementing their own network.
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is all about a practical way for companies or individuals to access IT resources. Clouds can consist of actual, physical devices or virtual resources, like software. Cloud computing allows multiple companies to share the same resources to keep costs from skyrocketing.
To set up your own network can take millions of dollars and a lot of time. To get connected to a computing cloud can be a mere fraction of that cost and take place in just a few minutes time.
What Goes Around Comes Around
In the early days of business networks the mainframe concept dominated. A mainframe networked environment consisted on one "Master" computer that took care of all the computing, storage and application needs for the entire network. There were "dumb" terminals or very low powered computers that connected to the mainframe for all of their resources.
As the PC became more powerful and affordable, mainframe environments died out. Even though a cloud computing environment is not, technically, a mainframe environment, the underlying concept is very similar. The cloud holds all of the resources, like network bandwidth, storage and application delivery and the computers connected to the cloud access those resources when needed.
Resources Available On-Demand
If a small company needs bursts of bandwidth for particular services, but doesn't need a dedicated network, that company can get connected to a cloud that offers additional bandwidth on demand.
That way the company can get the bandwidth it needs, when it needs it, without having to pay for an in-house, expensive network that isn't needed on a constant basis. When small companies are enabled, by cloud computing, to pick the exact services that they need and pay for only those services, they can save themselves a lot of money.
Cloud computing is still in its infancy and there are several variations on the model. There is no exact "right way" to do cloud computing, but experts agree that it will become more standardized in coming years. Some networks may emphasize offering shared application resources, while others might lean toward bandwidth sharing. It is more than likely that there will be several models of cloud computing each centred on the exact needs of its customers.