Computing in the Clouds

There's a good chance you've already used some form of cloud computing and don't even realize that you're doing it. If you have an e-mail account with a Web-based service like Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail or Gmail, then you've experienced cloud computing. In a cloud computing system, local computers no longer have to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to running applications or storing content. Instead, the network of computers that make up the "cloud" handles them, significantly reducing both hardware and software demands on the user's computer. The only thing the user's computer needs to run is the cloud computing system's interface software, which can be as simple as a Web browser, and the cloud's network takes care of the rest.

In an effort to streamline IT expenses, many marketers and firms are turning to Web-based services or cloud computing. CompTIA, a nonprofit trade association for the technology industry, recently polled 602 IT professionals at firms with up to 499 employees and found that nearly one-third of small businesses and 42% of medium-sized businesses use cloud-computing technology, mostly for storage and back-up solutions. Another 35% of all survey respondents said they plan to use some form of cloud computing in the year ahead.

It's easy to understand why cloud computing has really gained in popularity. ­Let's say you're an IT executive at company and your responsibilities include making sure that all of your employees have the right hardware and software they need. Buying computers for everyone isn't enough -- you also have to purchase software or software licenses to give employees the tools they need. With cloud computing, instead of installing a suite of software for each new computer, you'd only have to load one application. That application would allow workers to log into a Web-based service which hosts all the programs the user would need for his or her job. And those Web-based services include storing important data somewhere else, so you never have to worry about natural disasters wiping out your company's customer intelligence and critical information.