We have all heard the buzz of Cloud Computing in the last couple of years. I really do believe Cloud Computing is the future. I believe Cloud Computing will do well in small businesses and small companies who do not employ a full time IT department. I do believe a mix of Cloud Computing and local computing is best for larger businesses. I thought I would talk a bit on the Pro’s and Con’s of Cloud Computing.
Pro’s of Cloud Computing
1. No need to install individual software on each of your computers.
2. Less of a need for having an IT department or resident IT expert.
3. Your data is accessible from anywhere you have an Internet connection.
4. Most cloud computing applications are browser based and most computers have a browser that come with it.
5. Netbooks which are cheaper versions of laptops are geared toward cloud computing.
6. Cloud computing works well when you are collaborating with several people that are all in different locations.
7. Their are all kinds of applications in the cloud that are free. These free apps range from everything from shared calendar apps to document storage space.
Cons of the Cloud Computing
1. Security is the number one concern of being in the cloud. Is your data really safe that is the big question.
2. Internet bandwidth – if you have a slow internet connection storing data in the cloud will be painful.
3. Reliability of cloud services every major cloud service including Gmail has had downtime.
4. Backups – How do you backup your cloud based data.
5. Big companies like control of their data and the cloud takes the control away.
Personally I believe that their will always be a need for Cloud Computing and local based computing. How do you feel about Cloud Computing?
