Clearing the fog over cloud computing, the technology of the future
The day hard drives, the mainstay of any computing device, will finally be rendered obsolete may not be very far away. And cloud computing is only bringing that day closer. With Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and IBM heavily investing in it, cloud computing is not just another IT buzzword, but a revolution waiting to happen.
So what is cloud computing? This new technology uses the Internet and remote servers located around the world to store and maintain all data, allowing users to access it anytime, from anyplace without installing applications or software on their own computers. In other words, every user will have a small personal vault, or virtual server, in Internet real estate.
The concept has been floating around for a while now and most of us have used it without really acknowledging it as cloud computing. How many times have we uploaded photographs and data into our email accounts to keep a copy online and access it from anywhere? In fact, every time you use Facebook or Twitter, you are applying cloud computing. For example, the applications you use on Facebook are written for and distributed only on that website.

The Google Chrome operating system (OS) due next year will put all your computer requirements on the Internet. The Chrome OS will utilise a barebones computer with enough flash memory to connect to the Internet, where users will store all their data and also be able to use applications within the browser without installing anything. However, an obvious drawback is that the user may not be able to install or use personal software. Not yet, at least.
But more than the consumer, cloud computing is possibly on the verge of revolutionising the tradition methods of IT. While companies now have to spend a significant amount of finances, time and effort on the implementation, upkeep, maintenance and upgrading of software, cloud computing will put an end to all this. Owning data centres, power and office space for servers, cooling devices, network hubs, storage and complex company-specific software will also become things of the past.
In cloud computing, software and services are delivered to users through the Internet getting rid of the need to buy and maintain servers, technicians and expansions. The centralised storage, memory, processing and bandwidth will usher in efficient computing. And since everything is controlled virtually, it will become cheaper. Companies will no longer need to purchase space or software; they will just need to pay subscription for services and usage.

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