Cloud computing starts with the premise that data services and architecture should be on servers and refers specifically to the use of the internet as a computing platform. In other words, data, software, and applications no longer need to be installed or held on servers within businesses or home PCs where they will actually be used, but rather hosted on and accessed through the internet, otherwise known as 'the cloud'.
Cloud computing is closely associated with Web 2.0, and a key element of both trends is the emergence of online applications known as Software as a Service (SaaS). Commercial software including project management tools, customer relationship management, and human resources applications are now offered as services on the Web. Also found as services online are office applications, like Google Docs, where users can create or upload documents and work on them online using any computing device with a connection to the internet. By offering software as a service, the need to install and/or upgrade software on users' PCs is reduced. In addition to SaaS, Cloud Computing also includes the development of Hardware as a Service (HaaS), where additional computing power is purchased online. For example, Google App Engine permits developers to run web applications on Google infrastructure.
Cloud computing certainly has the potential to change the face of the computing industry as both individual users and organizations are switching from self-owned and company-owned software and hardware asset to per-use service-based models. Maybe we should shift to cloud computing in our operations too. I wonder what the pros and cons of using this platform are.
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