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Data and “The Cloud”

Posted by Serges LaRiviere on Wed, Jan 25, 2012


 

What is it?

The Cloud: a catch-all tech phrase for the location of any program or data that does not reside on your home computer, but where is it really?

The concept of the cloud goes back to the 1960's when it was conceived by computer scientist John McCarty as computational power that could be “organized as a public utility”.  As time progressed, we now have companies like Dropbox and Microsoft SkyDrive which provide remote file storage, and software-as-a-service companies like Google Docs and Salesforce.com which provide software that runs inside your web browser without needing to be installed on your home computer.

So where is my data?

When you use a cloud-based application, or store your data remotely, whatever you are working on is saved to a server owned or controlled by the company you are working through, for example if you save something to Dropbox, there is a copy saved to their servers.  That copy is distributed to all of your devices that have Dropbox installed and the copy remains on their servers as well.

For programs like Google Docs, a popular online office suite, the program runs on Google’s servers, and you view the output through your browser.  The useful thing about this is there is no software to install, and wherever you have an internet connection, you have your documents with you.  They handle storage and software all in one service.

What does it do for me?

Using cloud-based programs makes your data more accessible from more locations.  You can access the same file from your smartphone that you can from your home PC or Mac anywhere you have a data connection.  You can cooperate with team-members easily on projects regardless of what computer or device they are using.  With cloud-based applications you don’t have to worry about what operating system you are using in many cases, as all you need is a browser to access your files and your programs.  It breaks down many of the barriers between your different data devices and makes your data easier to access no matter where you go.

Long story short, cloud based computing and data storage can help many individuals and businesses conduct what they do easier and in more places.

 

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Tags: cloud, Computer, Data Backup