Cloud computing is revolutionizing business, but there is also a personal side to this technology available for everyday use.
There are three categories of personal cloud computing: online storage, online desktop, and Web-based applications. Each of these categories free up resources, either in processing power, as in the case of Web-based applications, or in the case of an Internet-based desktop (known as webtop) any computer with an Internet connection can become “our personal computer” via a Web browser.
Online storage gives users a place to store information that is available to us wherever there is an Internet connection, or provide a safe and secure place to back up our important information.
In the last year or two there has been a major technological leap in online storage, attributed to the increased speeds at which we can transfer information, as well as improved security to protect this information. These two factors have created an industry that seeks to provide individuals and businesses with backup solutions that are secure, reliable, and offsite.
If your data is compromised, either through viruses or other online threats, or even if your computer itself gets damaged, online storage keeps your data safe and secure as backup is done offsite.
There are primarily two types of online storage: free and purchased. The free online storage solutions usually come with some kind of advertising and range in size from a few hundred megabytes to a few gigabytes of storage.
There are also several paid storage options to choose from. Some include software you install on your computer to allow you to back up your data in some systematic way, while others simply offer an off-site space to upload the files you want when you want without any interference from the provider.
Companies like Carbonite, Mozy, Box.net and others provide storage solutions along with the software to take full advantage of what they offer. There are versions for Windows and Mac, as well as plans for every budget. And as bandwidth increases and the Internet continues to evolve, these services are sure to become less expensive and offer a greater selection of choices.
This is another very recent innovation in cloud computing. The idea of software as a service is not new, but improvements in bandwidth and increased speeds in the transfer of information has now made this option feasible.
Some companies offer a hosted software application that you do not have to download and install on your computer, but rather a service you subscribe to and, in a sense, rent.
This contrasts sharply to the model wherein a software purchase comes with a license granting you permission to use it on a computer you own. If you experience a problem with this program in this scenario, a customer service plan is available to assist you as part of the purchase. However, when the software vendor updates the program you must purchase it again to get the new whistles and bells, usually at a premium price.
For example, Adobe Creative suite can run anywhere from $999 to $2400. If you later decide that another program sounds better, too bad—you are committed to this company in the investment you made.
The Web-based application model is completely different. You do not purchase a license, and oftentimes you don’t even need to install the program on your computer.
Instead a user buys a subscription to the software. In fact, a user doesn’t even have to use his or her own computing power to run the software, as it is housed by the vendor. As part of the subscription fee, Web-based applications provide users with assistance when something goes wrong.
The other distinct advantage to Web-based software is a significant reduction in the up-front costs to utilize the software, as users gain access to the program at a fraction of the up-front cost of purchasing it outright. This means that you are assured future versions of the software as upgrades are no longer something packaged as a separate product, but part of the service contract you already own.
This service is slightly different to the two mentioned above, as its goal is to recreate the highly personalized setting of our own desktop with an online version we can access anywhere we can connect to the Internet.
I have tried several of webtops, and while I prefer some to others they all strive to offer a completely personalized and familiar desktop experience.
When I am away from my desk, the webtop allows access to information formally found only on the desktop of my own computer, such as contacts, e-mail, and files.
Many of these Web-based desktops even have synchronization tools to make it easier to share information between my desktop and the Internet version.
There are three categories of personal cloud computing: online storage, online desktop, and Web-based applications. Each of these categories free up resources, either in processing power, as in the case of Web-based applications, or in the case of an Internet-based desktop (known as webtop) any computer with an Internet connection can become “our personal computer” via a Web browser.
Online Storage
Online storage gives users a place to store information that is available to us wherever there is an Internet connection, or provide a safe and secure place to back up our important information.
In the last year or two there has been a major technological leap in online storage, attributed to the increased speeds at which we can transfer information, as well as improved security to protect this information. These two factors have created an industry that seeks to provide individuals and businesses with backup solutions that are secure, reliable, and offsite.
If your data is compromised, either through viruses or other online threats, or even if your computer itself gets damaged, online storage keeps your data safe and secure as backup is done offsite.
There are primarily two types of online storage: free and purchased. The free online storage solutions usually come with some kind of advertising and range in size from a few hundred megabytes to a few gigabytes of storage.
There are also several paid storage options to choose from. Some include software you install on your computer to allow you to back up your data in some systematic way, while others simply offer an off-site space to upload the files you want when you want without any interference from the provider.
Companies like Carbonite, Mozy, Box.net and others provide storage solutions along with the software to take full advantage of what they offer. There are versions for Windows and Mac, as well as plans for every budget. And as bandwidth increases and the Internet continues to evolve, these services are sure to become less expensive and offer a greater selection of choices.
Web-Based Applications
This is another very recent innovation in cloud computing. The idea of software as a service is not new, but improvements in bandwidth and increased speeds in the transfer of information has now made this option feasible.
Some companies offer a hosted software application that you do not have to download and install on your computer, but rather a service you subscribe to and, in a sense, rent.
This contrasts sharply to the model wherein a software purchase comes with a license granting you permission to use it on a computer you own. If you experience a problem with this program in this scenario, a customer service plan is available to assist you as part of the purchase. However, when the software vendor updates the program you must purchase it again to get the new whistles and bells, usually at a premium price.
For example, Adobe Creative suite can run anywhere from $999 to $2400. If you later decide that another program sounds better, too bad—you are committed to this company in the investment you made.
The Web-based application model is completely different. You do not purchase a license, and oftentimes you don’t even need to install the program on your computer.
Instead a user buys a subscription to the software. In fact, a user doesn’t even have to use his or her own computing power to run the software, as it is housed by the vendor. As part of the subscription fee, Web-based applications provide users with assistance when something goes wrong.
The other distinct advantage to Web-based software is a significant reduction in the up-front costs to utilize the software, as users gain access to the program at a fraction of the up-front cost of purchasing it outright. This means that you are assured future versions of the software as upgrades are no longer something packaged as a separate product, but part of the service contract you already own.
Webtop
This service is slightly different to the two mentioned above, as its goal is to recreate the highly personalized setting of our own desktop with an online version we can access anywhere we can connect to the Internet.
I have tried several of webtops, and while I prefer some to others they all strive to offer a completely personalized and familiar desktop experience.
When I am away from my desk, the webtop allows access to information formally found only on the desktop of my own computer, such as contacts, e-mail, and files.
Many of these Web-based desktops even have synchronization tools to make it easier to share information between my desktop and the Internet version.
Friends Read Free