Some Advantages to Cloud Computing

With the introduction of new technology the idea of 'cloud computing' has become a topic of frequent debate within technology focused circles. Software services offering the option of 'cloud computing' have recently been announced, such as the Google Chrome OS, Amazon's EC2, and Microsoft's new online version of MS Office. Another area of development which is leading the world to 'cloud computing' includes the 'netbooks', which have recently gained an amazing level of popularity. The 'netbooks' are very small, portable, and cost efficient computers which are, in part, a target of the 'cloud computing' software. These ultra portable computers come in many varients, including a built-in card to pick up internet access from cell towers and the little devices are flying off the shelves, in some stores there is a back order/waiting list of a couple months.

What does the term 'cloud computing' refer to? 'Cloud computing' is a service in which your personal computer is simply a terminal from which you access the servers out on the internet which contain your personal data and provide the computer resources, such as processing power and memory, that will be used as you utilize your computer. Basically, the under the 'cloud computing' system the computer sitting in front of you will be little more than an input device for your server account and have little more than basic boot instructions saved locally.

Some issues that surround the idea of cloud computing, include fears about privacy of information. Under the 'cloud computing' plan all of your personal data is stored far away on a server that you don't even own. For obvious reasons this can lead to some discomfort, as, unfortunately, however unlikely, it may be possible for governments to demand the information on these servers, and the corporation that owns those servers would end up turning your personal information over to the police. It seems to me that this concern is valid for those who truly are hiding information from the government, but from what I can tell most people are not hiding information and are more concerned about the availability of the information than its protection from the government. As a result, for those who have private information that needs to be concealed in their home,'cloud computing' is not the right system for them and, in fact, just connecting that computer with their private data to the Internet is putting them at risk (with the popularity of trojan horses, viruses, and other hacking techniques, not to mention the likely ability of numerous groups to track internet activity, including the RIAA, MPAA, Google, government agencies, and your ISP).

For others, whose concern about the absolute privacy of data is not a paramount concern 'cloud computing' may offer many services which may be a great convenience to its users. For example, take a college student who has numerous essays, homework assignments, some music, and a few pictures. With a 'cloud computing' system this student can leave all this information on a secure company server and travel home for a christmas break. Rather than have to pack his high-powered desktop that is used for gaming, he simply brings a little $300 netbook, which has access to all of his files or he could possibly just login to his account on his parent's computer giving him instant access to all of his files. Another example, a man with an excited child sits down to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning, then when the child accidentally trips over the laptop power cable, sending the computer crashing to the floor. Now with a normal laptop using a hard drive, the information stored on the laptop can easily have been corrupted and destroyed by the fall (a possible loss of hundreds of family photos, home videos, etc...). However, with the cloud computing model, no information was lost as the information is all stored off site and the laptop hardware simply needs to be repaired.

In conclusion, for the average computer user the cloud computing model can provide an excellent convenince at a more cost effective price. Although, some privacy concerns do exist, most of the information that we collect and share is not incriminating and the government would have little interest in it, even if it was acquired. However, having your family pictures, movies, and other documents easily, and securely accessible over the Internet can be very beneficial and helpful to thousands of people who are often traveling these days.