What is the Amazon Cloud?

In the business computer world, having off site data storage is a critical component of any disaster recovery plan. Until recently, this type of protection was not really cost effective for the home computer user. With the advent of the smart phone along with laptop and tablet computers, a new need has arisen. The need to have access when you are away from home to more data than you can easily carry with you.

Amazon Cloud storage is a viable answer to meet this growing demand.

The idea of cloud storage was made popular by the ever inventive Apple Computer Corporation. Amazon has adapted this idea to fit the need of their clients who use purchase and use their e-reading materials. The creation of the Kindle and now the Kindle fire has made filling this need more attractive to Amazon to help bolster the sale of their new tech toys.

Amazon Cloud allows users to store important data files away from your computer's resident hard drive.

After signing up for Amazon Cloud, you are able to use this storage space as a small or large additional hard drive on your computer. At present, the first five gigabytes are free to all users. Amounts of storage space above this limit are billed at about one dollar per gigabyte per year. This is still pretty reasonable if you do not need excessive amounts of space.

If you use multiple computers, this cloud drive becomes shared storage for all of your equipment.

By logging into your Amazon Cloud account, any device that allows you to have internet access can visit this storage space. If you store your favorite songs on the cloud, you can play them back from your smart phone, tablet, or other properly equipped device. The same is true of family photos, videos, and nearly any data that can be packed into your Amazon Cloud drive.

Amazon wants you to store your e-books on the cloud.

Because Amazon has made a strong transition into the electronic reading media, the cloud is a natural place to store your e-book purchases or music that you have downloaded from Amazon or other places. Amazon is counting on their cloud users to see this space as an opportunity to purchase more electronic media from their outlet to be used on their Kindle devices. However, you do not have to own a Kindle to enjoy the benefits of the cloud drive. You only need to have a computer and data that needs a place to live until you need to use it.