While the terms cloud storage and cloud computing may sound new and exotic to some people it has been around a long time. In fact, it is likely you are already using it if you are using any of the free email services on the Internet. If you use the internet to store your data off-site so you can access it anywhere you have internet access then you are using cloud storage. On the other hand, if you are using applications that run from the internet then you are using cloud computing.
The term “cloud” comes from the fact that on network diagrams the internet is always represented as a cloud meaning you cannot know the details of its structure. But fortunately using the cloud is a lot simpler than trying to understand it. Most cloud computing applications use a web interface meaning you access it using your web browser. Often you have the choice of storing your data on the internet using cloud storage or storing your information locally on you own computer.
How To Use Cloud Storage and Cloud Computing
Using cloud storage brings up the interesting question of who owns your data. If you are the person who saved the data to the cloud then does it belong to you? Does it now belong to the cloud storage service who owns the equipment that the data is stored on? Can the government claim ownership of it? Right now the answer to these questions are a little foggy. You need to really read the terms of service (TOS) carefully of any cloud storage or cloud computing service that you sign up for and know the laws of your particular region to know for sure.
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Let us say you are using an application in the cloud such as an email service that goes out of business? What happens then? What if you are storing your financial records for your business on a cloud storage service and then for some reason they delete your data? What do you do? These are real questions you need to keep in mind when using the internet as a place to store your information.
If you have a web hosting account and use it to store your business database then you are using a small-scale version of cloud storage. It is best that you make sure that you can get a backup of your database on a regular basis and store it somewhere else just in case something happens to your web hosting account. This is often available inside your account control panel where you can download your entire database in an archived format. A business should do this at least once a month.
If you are using applications in the cloud but store your data locally then maintaining reliable internet access is more important to you. If you are using these applications for your business or for other secure purposes, then you should use a cloud computing service that offers the use of SSL or secure socket layer connections. You can tell if the URL you use for the service starts with the protocol “https” instead of just “http”. This way all your communications between you computer and the cloud computing data center are encrypted.
Some cloud services such as chat or video conferencing services are also real-time and require that you synchronize with your partners. Some of these services will offer a calendar service where you can schedule things which will then correct for timezones around the world for each person involved.
Cloud storage and cloud computing offer great flexibility and convenience to the business traveler. Information can be stored in the cloud so that collaboration with business partners can be as close to real-time as possible. Custom or proprietary applications can be hosted by their organization and accessed securely over the internet. An additional advantage is that if a laptop is lost or stolen then proprietary information or applications do not necessarily need to be compromised. Of course, usernames and passwords would need to be changed immediately to prevent unauthorized access to any online accounts.
The greatest advantage that doing business in the cloud has to offer is for organizations that distribute vast amounts of electronic information. This can be in the form of electronic data, text, audios or videos. Many cable channels already have their own websites where they offer previous full episodes of their shows to online viewers. Many radio stations offer their broadcasts over the internet so they can broaden their audience to around the world. Some colleges have even put their entire curriculum online for students and even for the general public to access.
As the need for people to store information increases almost geometrically with time it is likely they will want to stop trying to store all their information locally. Applications are always evolving and using cloud computing means that the most recent version is always available. As cloud computing becomes more seamless with applications on computers it is likely that the internet will become “the place” for all data and applications in the future.
