The nuts and bolts of Cloud Computing

It's going to change the way we do things, but just how much will change?

A world without the need for hard drives is where cloud computing is pushing us. While many of us tech junkies are eager to jump into 'the Cloud', what's unclear is just how many of us are ready to give up our drives or transition to a drive-less structure.

'One thing leads to another'

One of the main things that is driving cloud computing is the recent advancements in wireless speed and connectivity. Without these in place, cloud computing wouldn't be practical or even possible. In many ways, cloud computing was/is an eventuality. The influence of megalithic telecommunications organizations (and their incessant push towards simplifying and miniaturizing virtually every electronic device capable of communicating with another human being) is creating a situation where the tail is starting to wag the dog, so to speak. In all honesty, cloud computing isn't so much a step forward as it is a step in a different direction, which is great and extremely healthy as well. The bottom line is; people are getting excited, and for good reason, this is a major breakthrough in not only computing but also communication.

Cloud Computing… Just another Utility?

Cloud computing has been compared to the standard utility companies, and it does bear a striking resemblance to these institutions. How so? Just like water, electricity or gas, cloud computing is essentially a centralized service that users access. In other words, the 'goods' come from one central location; you're just turning things off and on. This may ultimately give more people access to a larger pool or resources at an extremely reduced cost; power to the people.

The power of the cloud

One of the biggest benefits of cloud computing is its ability to offer users access to off-site hardware and software. With cloud computing the resources of the cloud itself are at your disposal. This means all the hardware, software, processors and networks will combine to give individuals much more computing power than has ever been possible. This will completely change nearly every facet of information exchange as well as influence everything from social networking to web development.

Minimal requirements

The best thing about cloud computing however is the minimal operating systems that most companies are going to begin incorporating into their devices. By keeping things light and simple individual access devices are going to last a lot longer and become much more durable. And of course, losing or breaking a device is no longer going to be of any particular concern, as they will be easily replaced and there's no danger of losing your files or information either.

It is still highly unlikely that most everyone will openly adopt and implement cloud-based systems for all their devices in lieu of traditional hard drives. But there is a strong chance that at least half or more of the world's connected population might. A more likely scenario might involve most people using the cloud for specific devices or tasks, and holding onto their hard drive based systems for other duties.

Check out the Cloud Computing Certification Page for more learning opportunities around Cloud Computing