Cloud computing is a term used to describe the Internet as a system of delivering information, software and other services. For example, the original method of purchasing software was to buy it on CD or DVD and then install the new solution on a PC or for a larger company on their servers which would take up considerable disk space. In recent years it has become possible to purchase and download software via the Internet.
Cloud computing allows individuals and companies to use software applications that are located on a specialist company’s servers which can be accessed via the web. So instead of the software being physically located on a company’s PC or an individual’s PC, access is gained via the web. As long as users have a web browser (such as Internet Explorer or Mozilla for example) they can gain access and use of the application.
An example of this model is software on demand or as it is often called software as a service (SaaS) i.e. being able to rent or pay for software by the amount of time it is used for.
cloud-computing logo
Cloud Computing is termed as such purely and simply because the ‘cloud’ symbol was originally used to illustrate the Internet in diagrams and presentations. (See diagram above.)
There are a growing number of traditional software and hardware vendors that are transitioning into Cloud services including Symantec, Websense, Mamut, Citrix, Wyse and many more. New vendors such as Resolutions MSP offer cloud based antivirus and online backup services and often position themselves as Software-as-a-Service [SaaS] vendors.