Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is the use of computing resources (hardware and software) that are delivered as a service over a network. A company uses the hardware and software in the cloud and a service fee is charged.
Local computers no longer have to do all the “heavy lifting” when it comes to running network applications. The network of computers that make up the cloud handles them instead. The hardware and software requirements of the user are decreased. The user’s computer must interface with the cloud using software, which may be a web browser, and the cloud's network takes care of the rest.
Cloud computing is another global trend changing the way organizations access and store data. Cloud computing uses cloud-based services to reduce costs and improve business processes. Cloud computing encompasses any subscription-based or pay-per-use service, in real time over the Internet, that extends the capabilities of IT without requiring investment in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software. These services are available on demand and delivered economically to any device anywhere in the world without compromising security or function.
Cloud computing helps enterprise IT shift spending from large, one-time capital expenditures to on-going operating expenses. It also allows enterprise IT to share cloud solutions assets, and provide dynamic, on-demand delivery of services to the enterprise as a whole.
Cloud computing offers the following potential benefits:
- Organizational flexibility - Users can access the information anytime and anyplace using a web browser.
- Agility and rapid deployment - IT department can focus on delivering the tools to mine, analyze, and share the information and knowledge from databases, files, and people.
- Reduced cost of infrastructure - Technology is moved from on-site to a cloud provider, eliminating the cost of hardware and applications.
- Refocus of IT resources - Cost savings of hardware and applications can be applied elsewhere.
- Creation of new business models - Applications and resources are easily accessible, so companies can react quickly to customer needs. This helps them set strategies to promote innovation while potentially entering new markets.