Consider this scenario.
This morning, before you found your way to the bus stop to catch the earliest ride to the metro, you checked your e-mail, just like you always do.
Immediately after you turned on your office computer a couple of hours later, knowing that your three-year-old son was already awake and your wife ready to take him to the dentist’s office, you called home via Skype to check on things.
You and your wife hardly had any sleep the night prior. Your child had a rough night, too. He was nursing a nasty toothache.
Your little boy just punctuated the call with a toothy flying kiss that made the sleepless night all worth it when somebody knocked on the glass panel separating your workstation from your college buddy and business partner, Mike.
Further reading: 4 Things to Keep in Mind to Become More Productive as a Freelancer
It was Bob, the line supervisor. He said something was up, and the workflow process needed some tweaking. The moment you completely understood what the production situation was about, you launched an access panel on your computer and did some dragging and dropping.
Half an hour later, you clicked on the deploy button and Bob left with a smile, but not before saying he owed you a round of beer. You stood up and went to the coffee dispenser for a refill. Just another day at the office, you told yourself, stifling a yawn but failing miserably.
E-mail, Skype and the access panel that allowed you to remotely tweak the production workflow in under 30 minutes – if you don’t know it yet, welcome to the world of cloud computing.
What is cloud computing?
Merriam-Webster defines cloud computing as the practice of regularly storing data on multiple storage systems that can be accessed via the Internet.
Similarly, Wikipedia asserts that cloud computing is the usage of computing resources – hardware and software – delivered as a service over a network, usually the Internet.
The term “cloud computing” was derived from the cloud-shaped symbol the process is usually represented with in diagrams. To give you concrete examples, cloud computing equates to popular applications such as:
- Facebook or G+ for social sharing and collaboration within a network
- e-mail or instant messaging
- Picasa or Flickr for photo uploading and sharing
- Dropbox or Google Docs for document and file sharing
- Yammer for corporate intranets
- Salesforce for cloud-based CRMs (customer relationship management systems)
- Basecamp for project management
- Bitrix24, an enterprise collaboration platform that combines all of the above in a single solution
- any other application that allows you to store and retrieve data through the Internet
Cloud computing is not dubbed by today’s tech pundits as the “technology for the future” if it doesn’t come with a whole host of benefits. Here are some of them:
- Converged infrastructure. One of the most notable aspects of cloud computing is converged infrastructure, which, for the most part, is the aggregation of several IT components into one streamlined solution, allowing for faster load times and better manageability.
- Shared services and resources. In cloud computing, centralization and/or standardization of processes results in the reduction, if not elimination, of redundant tasks and staff positions, hence, cost savings.
- Cost efficiency. Because data is stored in third party servers, businesses, especially those seeking to reduce capital costs no longer need to procure their own assets such as network systems, which they would also need to maintain in the long run.
- Flexibility, mobility and 24/7 access. Whether through a mobile phone or at 1 o’clock in the morning in a bus to downtown Seattle which is miles and miles away from your home office of Tokyo, Japan, cloud computing lets you access your data anytime and anywhere.
- Ease of use and maintenance. Cloud-based applications are a lot easier to maintain. Aside from them being accessible anywhere, they don’t need to be installed in individual computers.
Concerns about cloud computing
Of course, there always are two sides to a coin, and there is no such thing as a perfect model, only a model that works. Here are some of the common issues people associate with cloud computing:
- Privacy. How much data is being collected about you? How will that data be used? When it comes to Internet privacy, Google and Facebook are the top two cloud-based companies in the firing line. With companies such as these setting the standards for data collection and utilization, to protect yourself, don’t skip over privacy policies and be aware of information you share about yourself online.
- Security. As cloud computing gains wider scale and user share, breach of security is always a possibility. However, it’s important to note that this type of risk cannot be totally eradicated in any computing scenario. Criminals may hack into your company’s servers, and unencrypted data may be compromised in the case of lost or stolen laptops.
- Availability. E-mail outages happen every now and then. Even more established services like Salesforce.com have gone down on occasion, too. But take note, hard drives can fail as well, and data you’ve meticulously gathered can be lost if not properly backed up.
Conclusion
If you’re planning to move your business to the cloud, weigh the pros and cons. Opt for a service that offers you the most value for your time and money and a solution that works well for your employees.
Know which cloud computing service your company needs and do your own due diligence.
While it does make sense to be cautious, just like any move in a business territory you’re not familiar with, it’s wise to keep in mind that many businesses have already taken the plunge. If you’re holding back simply because you’re afraid to test the waters, you might be missing out on the chance to set your company up for the future.
Content furnished for Bitrix24.com, a cloud-based social enterprise solution that’s free for small businesses with a total of 12 employees. Bitrix24 makes day-to-day work procedures a lot easier by combining several work tools in one location, in essence, your one-stop workstation. For further information, visit the company’s website or send an e-mail to info@bitrix24.com.
Image courtesy of iprostocks / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Mac uses now an iCloud though on a limited capacity wherein you can access some files in your macbook into your iphone. Though there are limited customizations available yet.
Apple being Apple, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before those kinks get straightened out. Thanks for dropping by, Franc!
And once this kinks are settled, cloud technology will really be a big help for business and individual users.
Right on you are, Franc.
This is my first time to hear about cloud computing. Thanks for this very informative post. I couldn’t agree with you more. This one suits for people who are busy, but still needs to analyze if this is applicable to you or not. Anyhow, it’s a good eye-opener though.
Cloud computing had been here for some time, and like you, Robi, it’s only recently that I realized a thing as such actually exists and affects our daily lives. Thanks for visiting!
I always heard cloud computing but never really know how this can benefits us thanks for sharing this post I sometimes lost data because of virus and this is a great alternative to store them
Cloud computing is the wave of the future. Thanks for dropping by, Chris!
Oh wow, I’ve heard so much about this but never really understood what it was all about until now! You made it easy for me to grasp what it means, thank you! :).
I hear that in the school I work at, we might be migrating to that cloud thingy. I guess it will benefit us all, but I do hope they weigh the pros and cons first.
You’re welcome, Pepper. Yes, in anything, it’s always important that the pros and cons be weighed. Then again, it’s also important to keep in mind that fear should also be set aside when considering things like cloud computing.
Heard about this stuff from friends, pero deadma ko lang. But with your very informative and descriptive post cloud computing is a thing I will ponder in.
Papaleng, everything is moving to the cloud. The cloud computing revolution has begun, and whatever else people say about cloud computing, I’m betting it’s going to stay for the long haul. Thanks for dropping by!
I finally understood what cloud computing is. Thanks for this post!
You are most welcome, Rizza. And thanks for dropping by!
I am using ICloud of Apple, but haven’t explored it yet actually. this is not the first time to hear about cloud computing, but first time to read one! Thanks so much, very helpful. 😉
You’re welcome, Vivs. Actually, I just realized there are a lot of people who are already into cloud computing but don’t even realize it. Thanks for visiting!
i guess it’s more practical to be into cloud computing… just choose a reliable site that’s trustworthy in keeping your files safe and confidential. Yahweh bless.
I think you’re right, Ralph. Thanks for visiting!
I haven’t heard of this until now. Just like everything else in the world it has both advantages and disadvantages but then again it’s up to its user to do the control so as not lose safety and confidentiality.
Exactly my thoughts. Thanks for dropping by!
Innovation is it! There are companies nowadays that are already using cloud computing and it is very helpful because everybody can access it anywhere.
AyLin, thanks for visiting! Indeed, what you said is very true.
I am not familiar with cloud computing, I actually did not hear that before but this is a good tip though.
Something for you to think about, I guess. Thanks for dropping by!
My first time to hear about this. Technology really makes businesses easier.
It does, Mami Tess. It does. Thanks for taking the time to drop by!
Oh, I never knew there’s a term for that and I am always in such a circle. Great and informative read, doesn’t make me nosebleed like most technical stuff around. 😉 (Thank you!)
You’re welcome, Marie. I’m glad you found the article informative.
Seeing in the URL “cloud-computing” made me comment to myself, is this an accounting blogpost where I cannot comment that well? Well, I stood corrected. Hehe. A quite misleading term, it is. But, Cloud Computing is really beneficial these days. Imaging having an online storage for your pictures.
I am with you on the accounting thinking, Vento, LOL. On the storage for pictures count, that is just so cool, isn’t it?
This the first time I heard about cloud computing. I learned a lot from this post, Thank you!
I’m happy that you did, Levy. Thanks for visiting!
never heard of this before … or maybe i am not aware that i am already doing this in the long run … i bet this is really good for business given those benefits you mentioned having a “third party” for the storage of a your data. thanks for posting .. learned something today
It also is good for individuals. It can benefit us in more ways than one, especially now that everything will be moving towards the cloud.