The Terminology ?The Cloud? or the more broadly encompassing term ?Cloud Computing? has its origins in the flowcharts used by programmers who used the symbol of a cloud to represent the Internet.
??Cloud Computing” is a general term for delivering computer services over the Internet.? These services are broadly divided into three categories: Infrastructure-as-a -Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Furthermore, these computer services over the Internet can be anything from sales force management to employee expense recording, from database management to off-site data back-up and from simple email to complex scientific problems whose solutions require seriously heavy computing power.
One immediate benefit of placing your business in The Cloud relates directly to the costs associated with buying and maintaining a server and more expensive computers with more power and memory that would normally be required to run and store all of the data from your office(s) by utilizing the ?Virtual Infrastructure? that the Cloud provides you. You are able to save money by simply buying smaller computers (or even tablets or smartphones) that can access the Internet and foregoing the capital outlay normally required to purchase an expensive server and powerful computer with more memory. Because everything is stored virtually in The Cloud, you can save a lot of money with regard to the initial and ongoing (for the eventual upgrades that often ensue) capital outlay for hardware.
Smart phones are ubiquitous, and with the simple access that they provide users coupled with Cloud Technology called ?Virtual Office Space?, it is not really even necessary for a business owner to procure office space in the beginning (which would save precious seed capital for startup ventures!). Employees can do everything from managing their time cards to communicating via email to submitting reports and such, all through an Internet portal provided by the Cloud Services Provider with a login for all employees. Inindustries like Sales, for example, this Virtual Office allows sales people to always be on-the-go and in front of their prospective and existing clients, perpetually closing new business and servicing existing clients face-to-face ?in-the-field?, in the most flexible manner via a hand-held device or a laptop.
Your business can thrive by utilizing Cloud Computing to increase the degree of connectivity in your business and all of its components from management to employees to outside service providers, all via adroit use of the Internet. It is a cost-effective concept because of the drastically-reduced hardware costs. Also, it is easy and more feasible because of the familiarity of the latest hand-held computing devices.
A new mobile and flexible paradigm is now available that harnesses the power of the Internet and it is called, ?The Cloud?, which can have you on cloud nine. Experts say clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with nine being the highest cloud. Being on cloud nine means you are feeling great, high above worldly cares!
