The words ‘cloud computer’ still mean little to those amongst us who are slow to take up new technologies. I am 100 percent sure that were I to approach my mother with the question ‘what is a cloud computer?’ I would be greeted with a furrowed brow and the words ‘come again?’
But what my Mum might be surprised to discover is that she actually already has experience with cloud computing. Gmail and Hotmail are both forms of cloud computers. In plain-speak, cloud computers are the Internet. Your data is hosted at a remote location from your actual computer.
Think about your email account (let’s say it’s a Gmail account) you can access your email anywhere in the world, on any computer. Your emails cannot be wiped out simply because your PC crashes, gets damaged, or is stolen. This, in essence, is what cloud computing is all about. The software and storage for your account doesn’t exist on your computer. It is on the service provider’s computer cloud. The ability to access all your data, wherever you are in the world, from multiple devices, is one of the most exciting benefits of cloud computing.
You don’t need anyone to help you install or maintain software when you use cloud computing. Unlike regular software programs, the onus is on the vendor, not you, to upgrade software where appropriate.
Many people backup their data on flash pens, external hard drives, and CD’s. These solutions may work in the short term but are still easily misplaced, damaged, or stolen. Cloud computing’s superior ability to safeguard your data is just one of the features that makes it the most sensible solution for storing your data. Cloud storage service providers keep all of your data offsite in a secure data centre. The data is protected by optimal levels of encryption.