The Cloud is one of those terms that many people are unable to describe because 1) It's intangible and 2) it's thrown around a lot but never really explained. However, understanding the cloud is not as difficult as you may have anticipated. In fact, if you are using services like Facebook, the banking app on your phone, Google Calendar, PSN, Find my iPhone, or Dropbox, your information is already being stored in ~the not-so-elusive cloud~
Getting to Know the Cloud
Prior to the use of cloud computing, people would run programs such as Adobe Photoshop downloaded on a physical computer. Now, thanks to the cloud, the whole Adobe Suite, as well as many other programs, are accessible through the internet on multiple devices. Rather than keeping your information stored in the computer, cloud storage services sync your information on company-owned data servers. Remotely accessing your files via the internet has never been easier - you won't have to go bonkers trying to access your files ever again.
So, It's Not a Real Cloud?
You got it. Try to think of it like this...
Explain Like I'm Five Subreddit [Screen Shot]. (2016). Retrieved from https://redd.it/j2r46
Defining the Cloud
In more technical terms, cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than as a product, using a pool of configurable computing systems like networks, servers, and storage with minimal service provider interaction. The use of cloud computing allows for tremendous opportunities and interoperability across different systems, platforms, devices, services, users, businesses, and governments.
Inter-oper-whatty?
Interoperability is the optimal flow of interconnectivity among people, systems, and organizations. It allows for development of sustainable global marketplaces of ideas, goods, and services and is considered the key to the preservation of the world's knowledge (Palfrey, J. G. & Gasser, U, 2012). The advent of cloud computing technologies allows for enhanced levels of interconnectedness above the level of personal computers and into the network level on the cloud, making accessing information more efficient
Four Key Benefits of the Cloud
1. Scalability
For businesses of any size with growing or fluctuating, it's easy and fast to scale up or down your cloud capacity. This level of agility provides businesses with a competitive advantage over competitors. Furthermore, there is little managerial involvement so you can add more storage with a few clicks without physically storing it on oodles of expensive, space-consuming hardware that might even get lost...
2. Recovery
Cloud-based backup and recovery solutions provide peace of mind to both personal users and business users. No one wants to lose important data. Cloud storage solutions offers users with robust recovery in disaster situations. For example, think about what would happen if someone stole your iPhone. You're in disaster mode because 1) Someone has access to your personal information, personal photos, e-mail, in addition to all your social media accounts and 2) You are most likely never going to get this information back. For the first reason, Apple's Find my iPhone app lets you remotely erase your information and even trace the location of your phone. For the second reason, your iPhone has been doing automatic updates every so often that the last backup may be sufficient enough to have all the same apps, some of the same photos, and most of your contacts so when you sync this backup to a new phone, it'll be as good as old.
3. Collaboration
The cloud allows for increased collaboration by allowing multiple team members access, edit, and share documents at any time and from any place. Google Docs allows for synchronous editing, making group work much easier. For even more collaboration, conference calls can be made using software such as Adobe Connect, where you can stream and save live meetings, chat with the host, and share files, all on one screen.
4. Convenience
For businesses, switching to the cloud is often financially motivated because companies pay for storage using a subscription model rather than purchasing hardware to store the firm's valuable information. Furthermore, the hardware is stored off-premises in server farms with top level security.
For personal users, the cloud provides mainly free and easy solutions to store and access data on multiple devices. One example of a program I run on multiple devices is my calendar app called Sunrise, I have it downloaded on my iPhone so I can see what meetings and events I have on-the-go, and on my laptop so I can easily add events that I find online without switching between devices. It also sync my information with my Ryerson Google account calendar and iCal, so I can use both in one aggregated calendar app.
As awesome as the cloud is, there are still some perils. While your data is secured by a host, is it still your data? And just how secure is it? Didn't those celebrities get their precious castle in the sky hacked? As I mentioned in my previous post, always protect yourself, and protect your castle.
Works Cited
Kikuchiyo123 (2011, July 29). Cloud Computing; Explain it like I'm Five! [Msg 1]. Message posted to https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/j2r46/cloud_computing_explain_it_like_im_five/
Palfrey, J. G., Gasser, U., & EBSCO Publishing (Firm). (2012). Interop: The promise and perils of highly interconnected systems Basic Books.