Exactly What Is "The Cloud"?
I'm sure you've heard of this new term, "the cloud", or maybe "cloud computing". It's all the buzz lately. So, just what is meant by all this talk of masses of condensed water vapor hovering ominously in the atmosphere? Well, it's quite simple. Just imagine an actual cumulus or cirrus cloud floating through the sky. You know it's there. You can see it. It actually exists. You just can't touch it. Even if you were inside it, you could see the effects of it, but you'd really not be able to physically hold it in your hand.
The same is true with cloud computing. The computers are real. Your data can be placed "in the cloud" and you can access it and manipulate it. It actually exists, but it's not in a physical place where you can put your hands on it. When we speak of "the cloud", it mostly refers to any computing power or data storage that exists outside the walls of your office building or your home.
There are many providers of cloud based services. There are many different levels of services available. You can find anything from simple online file storage and single PC backup services, to enterprise level data storage solutions and even server virtualization services. Generally speaking, cloud services are pay-as-you-go services. You pay monthly only for the amount of computing power or data storage that you need. It is quite feasible to imagine a large corporation running dozens of servers that they never have to physically touch or maintain any hardware for these servers.
I've heard many people express concern for the security and safety of their data. While there are precautions that you must take, usually the data that you are passing back and forth through the internet will be encrypted and passed through secure tunnels for data security. If you opt to "go to the cloud" you should investigate the security features offered by various service providers before making your decision. Some businesses may require stricter securty options if they deal with compliance laws and redundant storage regulations.
The benefits of cloud computing is that there is no hardware for you to maintain, no cooling costs or power costs to run the equipment. In most cases, your data is accessible from any internet-connected computer.
At BamaDigital, we can offer cloud-based computing and data storage on many levels. We, through our partners, have simple solutions such as online file storage and automated data backup systems. We can also offer larger, business class solutions such as online server virtualization with Windows or Linux based servers. With these business class solutions, we can provide Microsoft Windows Small Business Server platforms complete with Microsoft Exchange services.
For a quote on a custom cloud computing for your business, contact us today!
