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What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is a broad concept of using the Internet
to allow people to access technology-enabled services

Named after the cloud representation of the Internet on a

network diagram
Cloud Computing:
Background
Reincarnation of centralized data processing and storage
as paralleled by the mainframe

A mainframe (aka Big Iron) is:

A large computer
Used by large organizations
Used for bulk data processing
Cloud Computing:
Background
Cloud Computing is:
A large network of computers
Used by large organizations to provide services to smaller
ones and individuals
Used for bulk data processing
Synonyms: Grid Computing, SaaS, Network Computing,
Utility Computing
Cloud Computing:
Why it matters to you
Cloud Computing and web based applications are the
future of computing in which all of us will interact
Cloud Computing:
Today’s Topics
The various types and vendors of cloud computing
services

Benefits of Cloud Computing

Drawbacks of cloud computing

Types and vendors of cloud
computing services
Cloud Computing Services:
Simplest Forms
Search Engines

Webmail
Cloud Computing Services:
More Complex Forms
Web-based office applications

Online photo and document sharing

Cloud Computing Services:
More Complex Forms
Branded, Domain-wide web services

Hosted Spam filtering

Cloud Computing Services:
More Complex Forms
Large-scale web-based storage and computing power for
building your own applications
Benefits of Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing:
Benefits
Ability to scale to meet changing user demands quickly,
usually within minutes

Environmentally Friendly

Task oriented

Virtually no maintenance
Cloud Computing:
Benefits
In the event of a disaster data is usually not lost

Easy to develop your own web based applications that run

in the cloud

Location of infrastructure in areas with lower costs of real

estate and electricity

Sharing of peak-load capacity among a large pool of users,

improving overall utilization
Cloud Computing:
Benefits
Separation of application code from physical resources

Ability to use external assets to handle peak loads (not

having to engineer for highest possible load levels)

Not having to purchase assets for one-time or infrequent

intensive computing tasks
Drawbacks of Cloud
Computing
Cloud Computing:
Drawbacks
Canned solutions such may not be full-featured, or too
Task-oriented

Often limited or no technical support available

Often free services display ads

When there are technical issues you may lose access to

your data or your application
Cloud Computing:
Drawbacks
No Control

Potential Regulatory Compliance issues

If the company hosting the application goes out of

business you may lose access to your data or application
permanently

You must have an Internet connection

Cloud Computing
Rebirth of centralized processing, without the green and
black terminal screens of the mainframe days. Instead we
have access to rich web applications with our information
and files stored in the cloud and available at all times,
whether that be a laptop computer in the middle of
Manhattan.
Summary
Sources
Wikipedia: Cloud Computing.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing

Wikipedia: Mainframe Computer.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainframe_computer