Get Your Head in the Clouds
2nd June 2009
I don’t know about you but I am finding that I am turning more and more to web based applications and data storage in the “cloud” rather than desktop software applications and a hard drive that resides on a single machine, for my day-to-day computing needs.
Huh?
Let me explain.
Traditionally the standard approach to running software on a computer is to install a copy of it on the machine that it was to be used on. The User then works with that software as needed at that particular computer. A cost per User in the form of a ‘license fee’, payable to the software issuer is needed to keep things nice and legal and any bugs or problems with the software are solved by installing ‘patches’ or ‘updates’ either from a floppy disk (as was), CD or as now; from the software vendor’s website over the Net. In time the software becomes outdated and the User is pushed into purchasing an ‘upgrade’ which they then re-install into their individual computer.
Think of Microsoft Word™. That’s a piece of word processing software that as a User, you buy a license for, install onto your PC from a CD, download updates from the Microsoft website and in time, purchase an upgrade to the next version. It’s how Microsoft and most other software vendors such as Sage™, Adobe™, Norton™ etc, make their money and is serious business on a global scale. If a second User in your office also needs a copy of Word on their PC, then the whole license purchase, install and update process has to be replicated for each additional machine that requires the software on it.
Times are a Changing
However there’s a new kid on the block when it comes to computing that is really putting the wind-up the major software houses such as Microsoft as it’s hitting them hard where it hurts, namely in the license fee revenue department.
The new kid is called Cloud Computing.
Cloud Computing allows Users to access and work with software applications centrally, over the web through their web browser and without the need to purchase and install a piece of software on their computer.
The big benefits of this as far as the User is concerned are:
- The same application can be used on any number of computers so long as they each have a web browser and an Internet connection. There’s no need to install the software on to each machine.
- Updates and upgrades are done centrally by the application host (the company that maintains the software on the web). No need to download updates, install patches etc.
- There are no large licensing fees needed each time an upgrade is needed. Applications in the “Cloud” are paid for by subscription which depending upon the level of subscription, allows any number of Users to access the application.
- Data is stored centrally on remote servers in the ‘Cloud’. This makes the working environment totally portable and independent of any single machine. Imagine, you work on a document in the office using a web based application. Save it. When you get home or move to another office during the day, so long as you can access the web, you can continue working on the same document even if it’s someone else’s computer.
It’s Already Here
Computer applications that are based on Cloud Computing concepts are already here and are being used by people like you and me, half the time without us even realising it.
For example, if you use any of the applications that come with Google Apps, you’re already into Cloud Computing. Similarly if you use one of the web based business accountancy applications that are starting to spring up, then again you’re into Cloud Computing. Similarly Facebook, Flickr and many other social networking sites that store their data online and offer interactivity are a form of Cloud Computing it can be said.
I myself use Google Apps, our online project management tool is based in the Cloud and I manage my Twitter account using a web application called Twithive having switched from a software based one called TweetDeck (which is also very good by the way).
So if you want to free yourself from your PC start to look at Cloud Computing applications. Admittedly I haven’t come across Cloud based equivalents of Microsoft’s Office™ range that are as powerful (that’s the key phrase here) however, no doubt in time some will arrive on the scene.
Danny Matharu Says:
Top work Jaimie. I’ve been using Google Docs when not in the office and found it superb!
One example is recently my better half was in hospital for a couple of ops. I just took the Net Book in with me and worked from Google Docs.
Job(s) done!
2nd June 2009