Cloud Computing

Doing business through the internet is not news to most of us. But, ways of sharing and storing information are constantly advancing. The lastest in transforming information via the internet is called cloud computing.

It's a vague term, and if you Google it, most links yield the phrase, "What is cloud computing?" So, it's kind of hard to get a grasp on exactly what it all means. (For an in-depth look, see InfoWorld article, What cloud computing really means.)

(Diagram from www.techtoggle.com)

But, in a pinch, for immediate application, perhaps we can define cloud computing as an internet-based system through which access to shared resources can be obtained. For instance, document sharing . . .

You've got things to share, but no platform on which to share them (email, of course, works, but then you're transmitting different files, and there's no documentation). So, free cloud computing services, like ZOHO Docs, make it easy to manage files in one location, for anyone (with your permission) to access from anywhere. Et voila, you're cloud computing!

Disclaimer: While I do not profess to be an expert in any business discipline, I am certainly nowhere close to having any IT expertise. So, take this definition with a grain of salt.