Cloud Computing: Where Have My Programs Gone?

The term cloud computing is everywhere. Perhaps you might have even experienced this "new" technology without even realizing it. Ever use Google Docs? Or perhaps web-based email as offered by some of the big name company like Google or Yahoo? Cloud computing is essentially a means to store data remotely on a server rather than on your personal computer. Cloud computing will allow for data to be shared, regardless of the particular device you are using. This will mean that the spreadsheet you created, for instance, through Google Docs on your home computer, will be viewable on your cellphone as well.

Cloud computing will enable a host of services which may already be available from the desktop, but there is so much more. Instead of having to create a piece of software and release updates in hopes that computer users actually download and install them on their computer systems, cloud computing will allow a company to update the software on their end and all users will see the updates more or less immediately. This can reduce the costs traditionally associated with releasing updates or at least free these resources for use elsewhere within a company.

Cloud computing allows for both software and hardware computing power to be available as a service, rather than as a product, which is how each is seen presently. This will allow companies which might need a small about of system resources to acquire just what they need.

On the hardware end, Amazon offers "Elastic Computing" or EC2 which allows for the building of on-demand virtual systems. This allows a company to essentially outsource some or all of their needed computing power through Amazon, with minimal in-house hardware requirements.

As for the software end, Google offers services such as Google Docs which, while allowing for the storage of documents on their servers, also enables file sharing. This can allow multiple people to collaborate on a document right on-line, without the need to send the file around.

How does this compare to traditional services such as Web Hosting? It is my view that cloud computing will neither replace or detract from traditional web hosting services. Instead, it will either extend or complement the services companies currently offer.

The biggest pros will probably come first on the vendor end as they will only have to release one real update to themselves, rather than to millions of users. There hopefully will also come a benefit to the end user in the form of lower hardware costs, in that the end user will not have to purchase multiple devices to utilize cloud computing.

However, the biggest of the cons might be incompatibility. The items created and store through provider A, might not work or be transferable should you decide to instead use provider B. We already see this in traditional software. I believe we should wade into Web Computing using the same logic so many of us seem to so readily forget with traditional computing: backup, backup, backup. I for one will be making sure I have backup copies of my files with me just in case Web Computing goes the way of so many other forms of technology have in the past.