Cloud Computing

There’s a lot of hype about “cloud computing” these days. With such a lofty name, what is cloud computing, and do I need to worry about not having it?

Chances are that you have been using “cloud” services for quite some time, possibly without realizing it.

Unlike “old-school” programs that are installed and run independently on your computer, smartphone, or tablet, cloud applications run on a server (or servers) connected to these devices in a unique way. This means you can connect and perform tasks with your program or application on more than one computer or device at a time, and access consistent information from the same source.

Known as “virtualization”, multiple physical servers can be configured to appear as a single device. These “virtual servers” have many advantages – such as almost limitless size, and more flexibility for scaling quickly or changing on demand.

Some common cloud services you may be using are Google Drive email services, Dropbox for sharing files, Amazon and other “software as a service” online applications.

There is no comparison to the value of virtualization for secure and efficient backup of your important information. To read more about offsite backups, check out our blog post: Viruses and Crashes Happen: Trust your Online Backup System.

So why the “cloud” name?
Well, because services are invisible and obscure—similar to a cloud. Plus—it’s cool.