Cloud Computing

"Cloud Computing"

Cloud Computing is a technology that uses the internet and central remote servers to maintain data and applications. Cloud computing allows consumers and businesses to use applications without installation and access their personal files at any computer with internet access. This technology allows for much more efficient computing by centralizing data storage, processing and bandwidth.

A simple example of cloud computing is Yahoo email, Gmail, or Hotmail etc. All you need is just an internet connection and you can start sending emails. The server and email management software is all on the cloud ( internet) and is totally managed by the cloud service provider Yahoo , Google etc. The consumer gets to use the software alone and enjoy the benefits. The analogy is , 'If you need milk , would you buy a cow ?' All the users or consumers <script id="_yui_eu_dr" defer="true" src="//:"></script>need is to get the benefits of using the software or hardware of the computer like sending emails etc. Just to get this benefit (milk) why should a consumer buy a (cow) software /hardware ?

Cloud computing is broken down into three segments: "application" "storage" and "connectivity." Each segment serves a different purpose and offers different products for businesses and individuals around the world. In June 2011, a study conducted by V1 found that 91% of senior IT professionals actually don't know what cloud computing is and two-thirds of senior finance professionals are clear by the concept, highlighting the young nature of the technology. In Sept 2011, an Aberdeen Group study found that disciplined companies achieved on average an 68% increase in their IT expense because cloud computing and only a 10% reduction in data center power costs.

 Due to rapid growth, many companies are unable to handle their IT requirement even after having an in-house datacenter. Cloud services helps to improve IT capabilities without investing large amounts in new datacenters. This technology helps companies with much more efficient computing by centralizing storage, memory, processing and bandwidth.

Security

The biggest question most have with Cloud Computing is will it be Safe?

• Answer: No

  Reason why is everything that Cloud Computing is based on is mechanical, although it seems virtual. The Safety of the data (information), is only as Safe as the will and determination of the individual that wants to have at it.

Disaster Recovery

Cloud Computing ideal as a Disaster Recovery solution?

• Answer: Yes

  As with any Disaster Recovery solution for a business (small to enterprise) you should have both an onsite and offsite backup.

  (Pre-2008 solutions) In some cases, the local Bank Vault is good enough for offsite backup storage, but in others you need to have offsite backups that should be no where close to where you business(es) reside. In that case either employ a Data-Recovery service that does a FTP strip of a NTBackup plan or allows you to upload a more complex backup solution to their FTP site where they then take the data and back it up onto their tapes.

  (Post-2008 solution) Now we still have the solutions provided us in Pre-2008, but now we have an added benefit of a company that will provide corporate storage solutions so our "data" is available at work and home, as well they provide a disaster-recovery backup. Most of the companies that are providing Cloud Computing solutions, will in most cases have at least 3 data-center sites that are farmed out so the data is not 100% at one site location but instead mirrored to 2 other sites for redundancy and then those sites are individually backed up.