Since we are learning about "Cloud Computing" this month, I thought it might be inspiring to write this article while actually in the clouds. Armed with this novel idea, my boys and I climbed up to Rainbow Falls in Jones Gap State Park. Our elevation was about 2,800 feet, which was close enough to the clouds for me. This is a beautiful place, and a great environment in which to work. When my pulse slowed enough for me to hold a pen, I settled in and wrote a little while I watched the boys terrorize salamanders and crayfish (that's crawdads" to us southerners.) Watching them brought to mind how excited they are to experience and enjoy new things. I used to be the same way. In some ways I still am.

How do you react when exposed to new things? Are you a "change embracer" or are you one of those that are still holding onto your 8-tracks and your Betamax thinking that cds and DVDs are just a "fad."

I take new things and dissect them. When new technology is released, I grab it, take it apart, break it, fix it, and then make up my mind whether it is worth having or not. At the same time, I see people every day that are on 10 year old computers and don't seem to have any desire to move ahead, even though the advantages are obvious. Although you may think this is a "safe"position to take, these types of people may be missing out on some great breakthroughs in technology.

Here's an illustration:

Some of you know that we had a black bear in our backyard a couple of weeks ago. Yep, it was a bear and no, we couldn't have mistaken something else for it.

Anyway, I am inside, my wife Lisa is outside and sees the bear. She yells for us to come outside and see the bear, so we rush outside, Nikon in hand. This bear was really moving, and I wanted a picture, so we ran out into the yard and began chasing the bear down. After a few seconds, I realized that perhaps chasing a 250 pound black bear that was running away from us into the dark woods was not the best idea. So I told everyone else to stop and I chased after him alone. (I'm willing to risk my own life for a picture, but not anyone else's.)

Here's the point: It was new, it was exciting, and our first reaction was to chase it. We were out of our comfort zone, and we were enriched for the experience. To make a long story a little less long, I didn't get the picture, but I'm still alive. I can live with that.

Apply this little experience to your attitudes toward new technology and you will understand what I am trying to get at: Approach new technology carefully, but APPROACH it.

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Why the Cloud?

If you have ever seen a diagram of a computer network you have probably noticed the drawing of a cloud that always represents the Wide Area Network (usually the internet) that connect two or more networks together. This is where the term "cloud computing" comes from.

Cloud Computing in it's simplest terms can be explained this way: Cloud Computing allows the user to take advantage of software and programs that are running on another computer over the internet.

You don't realize it yet, but mostly everyone has used cloud computing before. Ever check your Yahoo mail or Gmail accounts through an internet browser? Of course you have. You were using cloud comuting to perform that task. The Server at Google or Yahoo was doing all of the work and showing you the results on your screen.

Origins

Cloud Computing is an extension of "thin client" technology that you may be familiar with. Many companies over the last 10 years have used some sort of thin client, which is a computer that runs programs and even its operating system from another computer on a network. Many thin clients (sometimes called "bricks)" are tiny computers that have no hard drives at all, just a memory card that contains the bare minumum files necessary to point the thin client to the server that actually houses the software that make the computer work and allows the user to get his work done. What's the point? Thin clients are cheap and easy to deploy. All users see the same thing on their screen, and can access only the data that is allowed by their username and logon. They can't download or install anything, so the environment is totally controlled. If a new employee is added, you just create a username and password, and the server controls the rest.

Umm . . . Still not Sure Why I Should Care. . .

How about never having to spend $400 for a new copy of Microsoft Office? $10 per month to create PDF files is more appealing than buying Adobe Acrobat for $300.

There are other advantages, and here are some:

You can access your data and programs from anywhere in the world.
No need for advanced hardware on the user's side. Any computer will do the job, since the high powered servers are doing all the heavy lifting.
Each user doesn't need a license for the software they are using. you can have one license, and as long as only one person is using the application at a time they can all share the program. If you need more users you just pay a little more each month.
Servers take up space. If they are stored somewhere else, you need less expensive square footage.
It's GREEN! Thanks to virualization (one computer doing the work of several) you need fewer computers that use less energy.

For most users and individuals, Cloud Computing means that you can have access to expensive software that you may not otherwise be able to use. In many cases, you can use online applications for free! Take that, Microsoft!

Cloud Apps You Can Use Now

Google Apps - Google's foray into cloud computing has arrived in the form of Google Apps - a collection of web based applications delivered over the internet. The applications consist of Google Docs, which provides word processing and spreadsheet functions, Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Sites, which allows users to create and edit template-based webpages

Microsoft Office Live Workspace - Microsoft offers internet delivered Word, Excel, Powerpoint and OneNote programs, along with internet storage that makes your files accessible to anyone with an internet connection and the correct username and password. What's more, you can open your internet storage location right from your local copy of Word or Excel just as if the files wwere on your own hard drive. Storage starts out free for 5GB of space.

iWork - Apple clouding. Those familiar with iWork on the Mac will like Apple's online offering, which is currently in Beta. Apple leans heavily toward collaboration on documents by users in different geographical locations. like most Apple apps, it is easy to use and very intuitive.

Zoho - Zoho has been around for a while and has the most comprehensive list of applications. Need CRM or invoicing? Zoho can deliver. Zoho has online meeting applications, note taking apps, HR resources, email hosting, reporting, online organizers, chat, your own wiki and the list keeps on listing.

Ulteo - Want your own cloud? Ulteo is an infrastructure that allows business or individual to "publish" apps to their employees so they can run programs over the internet without having them installed on their own computer. It's open source, which means free. This is similar product to Citrix, but comes with a price tag of zero. This would be very useful for businesses with multiple locations or mobile units that need access to information and applications without having acces to the same computer. login from anywhere and run your apps.

Concerns About Cloud Computing