Cloud computing is the latest buzz word of geeks and nerds but more and more of us (no I am not a geek) will be talking about cloud computing.
So what exactly is cloud computing? In a short, very informal definition, it is keeping your files and even software programs on an external server that is accessible via the internet. And why the heck would anyone want to do that? Well in a word - price. Your company would not have to pay for the fastest computer with the most storage space. You would only need a computer that gave you enough processing speed to run a few necessary programs. Your company would not have to install a suite of software programs on each and every computer but instead only install a couple of applications such as the cloud's interface software. That application would give each computer access to the necessary programs - from word processing and email to complex data manipulation programs. Your company would not have to invest money in expensive servers, because the cloud would handle that for them.
Why does the average employee care about cloud computing? If you (like many of us have) forgot to finish that report, or realized you did some portion of it wrong, then you can log into your cloud from any computer and finish everything up and submit that spreadsheet. And cloud computing gives you faster access to your files than the programs that connect to your work PC from home.
Is cloud computing secure? Cloud computing is not very secure. If you have documents that fall under HIPAA regulations or any other sort of privacy act then cloud computing is simply not for you. Also, since most of the "programs" that you are running are web based they can be hacked and hijacked. This raises concerns about any personal data, financial data, or trade secrets that you put on the cloud. Basically the cloud should only be used to store reports and files that do not contain sensitive data.
Whether you choose cloud computing or purchasing a new server, let dscTech help you design a network that works for your company. Contact Russ Skelton at technical@dsctech.net or call at 706-856-3282.
Written by: Mandi Hix