The Forecast is Clear for Cloud Computing in 2010

Now that we are a full decade into the 21st century, it is exciting to see all of the changes that have happened in the realm of personal technology, computer hardware and computer software. In the last 10 years, media players have become completely ubiquitous, computers are in nearly every household, and cellphones are everywhere and can do nearly everything. Cloud computing is one of the most exciting things to come from the 21st Century technology revolution, and as cloud computing continues to mature and evolve, it will begin to change nearly everything we think we know about how computers and the internet work.

For those new to the concept, cloud computing can be defined as the shift of computing resources, technology and equipment from the desktop or local network to the internet (or cloud). In other words, all of the things traditionally associated with a desktop or laptop computer, such as processing, data storage and applications live and take place on remote servers instead of locally. The users lease or access those resources rather than own them. For some, cloud computing represents the "next best thing" in computing, while others find it a firestorm of trouble waiting to happen. Whatever your position, there is no denying that cloud computing is going to forever change the face of computing in 2010.

Five Predictions for Cloud Computing in 2010

Privacy Will Matter Most

Regardless of the cloud computing model or platform, one thing remains constant: your data is traveling and residing in "the cloud." This means that al