Computing in the clouds

The future of computing is headed for the clouds. Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet. These services are broadly divided into three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). The name cloud computing was inspired by the cloud symbol that’s often used to represent the Internet in flow charts and diagrams. The really neat thing about this service is the ability to pick and choose which services you need and which ones you do not need. You will be able to order a virtual server from a provider like you order from a menu in a restaurant. I can choose exchange server or not; if I am not going to use exchange. After you place your order your server will be configured and almost immediately available for your use. This server will exist on the internet and not reside in your building. Most providers will scale the server as your needs change. Your business grows and you need more space – they simply reconfigure your cloud server and off you go. This will greatly reduce the upgrade costs and keep you systems running much more dependable.