Computers have engendered many changes in society, and the way we use them has changed, too. The newest change involves something called cloud computing.
The metaphor is airy, I'll admit, but very apt. Information need no longer be on site. You can be anywhere in the world and still access your data over the internet. Another apt metaphor is the electricity grid. Information flows to you rather than you going to get it.
The idea of a cloud comes from early drawings of the telephone network. In this case, it refers to the internet, which envelops and encompasses the whole world. The user doesn't need to know the details of data transfer. She just needs to know that, like the internet itself, the technology just works.
Based on a client-server model, the cloud serves as an access point for the user's end needs, whether that be software, data or communication.
By not buying the infrastructure itself, the client lowers initial capital expenditures. Like electricity or other modern utilities, users are charged by consumption. Another model allows billing by subscription with unlimited access and use.
Increased bandwidth availability, made possible by modern data lines like fiber optic cables, make the new technology possible. Information on a server miles away comes as quickly as if it were next door. As a result, servers are rarely left idle, leading to an overall rise in computer use.
Both the user and the provider save money under this model by sharing a common resources. The provider saves money by spreading her costs out over a great number of users, who also save money by avoiding buying lots of hardware.
Amazon and Google are amongst the major corporations that have embraced the new paradigm. They also were attracted by the association with utilities like electricity and telephones, which were key in making the new technology available to everyone.
With less need for on-site storage, computers can become lighter and more agile. They need only have input/output capabilities and an internet connection. With both software and data arriving on demand, hardly any data storage is needed at all. Groups working together get the added benefit of easy access. While the project is housed on one server, workers can get to it from anywhere in the world.
There is a new technology on the horizon. Cloud computing will soon rain down everywhere. Get ready for the future because it is coming soon.
