Cloud computing is a method of computing that involves using the internet to provide the resources and services for computing as opposed to using the resources on a local computer. Because the resources available on the internet are usually greater than any individual computer, it provides the opportunity to access applications and services that an individual user would not have. Cloud computing came about when the internet developed to the point that numerous dynamic and virtual resources became available.
There are several components that make up the architecture of cloud computing. These components include clients, services, platforms, applications, storage, and infrastructure. The client component may include computer hardware and software such as mobile devices, web browsers, net top devices, and other formats. The platform involves the architecture of the hardware and software structure that includes the computer’s operating system, programming languages, GUI, and other components By utilizing the cloud computing concept of the internet, the platform component allows end users to have a significant amount of applications and services available for their use. Examples of the platform component include Linux, Windows, Solaris, Java, and .NET Framework.
Storage is an important part of the cloud computing architecture. The virtual storage that is provided in cloud computing is the means by which data, applications, services, and other components reside within the cloud architecture. The availability of remote storage reduces the expenditures and costs that may be necessary if applications and services were to reside on the hardware of the end user. As disk storage became cheaper, it greatly expanded the potential of cloud computing and helped to make many of the things available on the internet possible.
For end users, the use of applications that are available via cloud computing is probably the most important aspect of the cloud computing technology. Applications are the components that most end users encounter and utilize with the cloud computing. Web applications, especially those that are considered Web 2.0 applications, have revolutionized the way that customers and business utilize the internet. These applications vary from popular social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to other sites such as YouTube, Blogger, and xx. These site utilized cloud computing technology and architecture to provide a variety of resources to customers and allow access from a variety of computing platforms. Peer-to-peer networks fully utilize the cloud computing technology by sharing the workload and tasks among the peers or nodes on the network. Since there is no centralized server or database, the virtual nodes on the network make this use of cloud computing very appealing. This is because the bandwidth, computing power, and storage space can be shared among the users on the virtual network. Peer-to-peer networks are commonly used for file sharing by internet users.
The usage and availability of wireless networks and Wi-Fi has helped in the proliferation of cloud computing and the social networking applications. The use of cell phones to access online applications, for texting, and to interface with other features have grown tremendously. This is another aspect of cloud computing that has benefited from the technology.
Cloud computing has also changed the way the businesses use the internet to interact with customers. Customer relationship management (CRM) tools are employed using cloud computing technology. Call centers, corporate help desks, public relation departments, and other business departments are utilizing cloud computing as a method of providing data, services, and information to their clients, responding to customer inquiries, and obtaining new customers. For businesses, as with individual users, the use of cloud computing to minimize the infrastructure costs and demand on local resources has been a tremendous benefit of the technology behind cloud computing.
As technological advances continue to occur, cloud computing will continue to benefit from these innovations. Cloud computing will continue to change the face of way society utilizes the applications and services that are developed.
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