Move To The Cloud

 There was a time when a 'cloud' meant only one I   thing, which had nothing to do with either I   computing or the internet. Now, when you goggle the word 'cloud', your search results page is bombarded with terms such as 'cloud computing', 'cloud-based software architecture' and the like. Yet, there are many who are still unfamiliar with the concept of cloud computing - who may still wonder about the puzzling relationship between computing technology and real clouds.

In  spit?  of its overwhelming popularity, the precise meaning of 'cloud computing' is still - well, cloudy. Wikipedia simply describes 'cloud computing' as an emerging internet-based technology that uses remote servers to uphold data and applications; it allows consumers and businesses to easily use software over the internet.

Recently, cloud computing has been, perhaps, me most radical trend that has engulfed the information technology industry - investors, analysts, entrepreneurs, small businesses and large corporations have all been influenced by it. For consumers, executing computing tasks in cyberspace is a ground-breaking notion and is likely to open infinite opportunities for everyone. It is not surprising that Gartner Inc, a research and analysis company, has listed cloud computing as one of the top ten strategic technologies for 2010.

However, as with other things, the sky-high hype that initially surrounded the cloud computing nomenclature started to dwindle as experts identified functionality, availability and security issues attached with cloud computing - inviting amusing expressions such as 'the sky is not limitless' and 'the sky is falling'. This is not to say that the cloud is unfavorable; just that it is not favorable for all. Regardless of everything, it appears as though both service providers and consumers are in a hurry to explore the heights of cloud computing, and the rest will just have to be discovered and learned along the way, as the IT atmosphere experiences the winds of change.