“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein
The methods we use to communicate and manage information continue to develop and evolve – to the extent that often they surpass our level of understanding as to what they are? – or how and why they work? Cloud computing seems to fall into this category and remains confusing to so many – and not yet understood well enough to convince us to trust them with ‘taking over’ functions that we are used to managing ourselves, and are more or less tangible to us. Most want to understand and know more about its purpose and benefits. To the tech- savvy readers, please bear with my language as we are clearly the minority here.

Why is it being introduced as an innovative alternative to the conventional, limited, local machine / application based processes of accessing programs and performing daily functions that rely on installed software physically running on our PCs? It is a shift in how applications and services are distributed and accessed in comparison to what we have been used to. Look at it as “software as a service” (or Saas) as it is known – as opposed to software you’re used to downloading and installing. In other words, all our stuff is being made available out there – on the web – instead of in here, on our machines. The cloud is another word for all your stuff and where it’s located and managed.

People tend to interpret the cloud to mean many different things – and so it actually is many different things, as it offers many different solutions for many different challenges. Put simply, the cloud is a lot like the server which handles your internet, email, and online activities. Yea, it’s a modified version of a data center in a climate controlled secure facility. We may as well start paying attention and get familiar with it because ‘The Cloud’ is here to stay, we’re being told. Its potential lies far beyond the basic definitions and applications mentioned in this article.

“The concept of cloud computing, at its core, represents major shifts for companies and service providers from internally to externally, from tethered to portable, from physical security to virtual security, from siloed to pooled,” explains Don Norbeck, director of Product Strategy at SunGard.

Cloud computing is a comprehensive and flexible platform capable of hosting everything we typically need and use on a daily basis: email, social networking mediums, storage hardware / data resources, software and programs including internet security and even full operating systems – all fully automated and accessed through ‘The Cloud’ by your chosen provider (or browser). It is a necessary solution being developed in response to unpredictable economics and the need to scale down costs of personel, and multiple physical resources that require manual oversight.

The Cloud is cheaper, quicker, easier (lighter) on resource usage, and far more efficient in performance and functionality. There is little or no installation, less third party dependency, no actual IT as it is completely integrated and configured by large scale, strategic, centralized and standardized server installations. Also, this represents a natural progression of technological innovations with the increased popularity of mobile devices in use.

Your email account is a classic example of how cloud computing works. It is capable of managing an infinite number of users, accounts, the tools they require, performance standards, etc… all preconfigured, integrated, and managed through automation – and at little or no cost at all.

In addition there are internal, external, and hybrid variations of the cloud. The internal cloud refers to an in-house, or on site cloud, where data and peripherals are stored locally. The external cloud refers to all the virtual functionality and applications hosted externally on your server (in the clouds). And a hybrid is the confusing idea of an internal cloud being managed in-house – but existing externally in the cloud. Clear as mud, huh.

The Cloud sounds very appealing. But creates as much intrigue as it does skepticism, as it is still very new and unfamiliar. There are many questions and concerns regarding security, off- site data management, and the necessary oversight involved. Who is responsible for maintaining this alleged superior functionality and security? Or, who exactly has hands on access to our entrusted intellectual property in the cloud? It is redefining our understanding of the term “virtual.”

Just as there are so many questions, there are equally as many answers, as the cloud’s capacity and potential is being developed and configured to accommodate any requirements that a client may find a need for. Volumes of books and literature are being highly consumed as more and more people, businesses and developers are looking to adapt to and function within the new trend and better understand this innovation in the way we manage our computing environment.

Basically this brings us right back where we started. Cloud computing is open to interpretation, and its applications seem to be infinite. Only now we might be left with the question of what it can’t do? Maybe it is most accurately defined by what it is not – at least not yet. So for now – the cloud is a modified server capable of performing more and more functions that we are typically used to managing ourselves.

If you have interest in exploring additional resources, I have provided links and related content on the Goodspeed2u Blog site. Goodspeed2u supports an effort to publish and distribute content relevant to select topics of interest – focusing on internet security, marketing, and the numerous products and services available for online endeavors. We recognize the value of maintaining a safe and productive experience online. – Daniel Tillman

Picking the right tool for the job is very important when it comes to have the best mobile computing experience. There are plentiful of mobile computing devices in the market. From high-powered laptops, compact “midsize” notebooks to tablets – the list is definitely long. Now, you should pick choose the right device for the job to get your job done. For instance, to just check your email or for social networking a smartphone is more than enough while if you would like to view a Word document or read an ebook or want to enjoy at pictures or videos a device with a larger screen will certainly be a better choice.

Problems to enter text on smartphones are the most common reasons for which people carry a laptop or netbook. Before setting out with your laptop, think twice. Do you require extra processing power and memory? If not, then you can think of connecting a compact keyboard to your tablet via Bluetooth or USB. This will resolve the issue. Even there are external keyboards available in market for some smartphone models. This will definitely help you to enhance your mobile computing experience.

Enjoy faster and better mobile computing experience by optimizing navigation settings. What you need to do is just tweak the settings that most devices allow to make. For instance, Android phones let the users take help of widgets to create direct links on the home screen. This could be used for dialing a specific number or to send email to a particular contact. The feature also helps the user to go directly to a specific location with the GPS or on the map. Those who are using physical keyboard, they can use keyboard shortcuts just like you do with your computer.

Do you have a Windows Mobile phone? If yes, you don’t need to buy a Wi-Fi access point. By using an application called WMWifiRouter, you can turn your windows phone into a wireless access point and connect your laptop or tablet to the Internet via its 3G connection. You don’t need to pay any extra bucks for that.

It is also suggested to sync your data across multiple devices. No need to spend time to copy the same data on different devices. Rather, synchronize your data across all your mobile devices and PCs. This will ensure better competence and better reliability of the data.

If you come across any type of laptop issues, you can consult an online computer repair company. There are many remote computer support providers in the market that offer reasonably priced laptop repair services to the PC users.

For many people the jury is still out on the recent Tablet phenomena. Apple’s iPad started everything off back in May 2010, and after a huge take-up by the public, voting with their wallets other manufacturers have been swift to move into production. Almost all major Hardware producers now have a tablet strategy.

The initial thinking on the Tablet was somewhere between a big Smart phone without a camera or telephone capabilities and a device which fell way short of a Laptop. Hence the device was pidgeon holed as essentially a leisure device for watching movies, listening to music, browsing the internet and playing games.

But… let us look a little deeper into the future for the Tablets in conjunction with other trends and we might find a different perspective… Estimates on sales of Tablets has been put at 40-50 million units in the next few years, at the expense of what would have been laptop or netbook sales, why are manufacturers putting so much faith in this emerging market?

Firstly let us look at what the Tablet is not, it is not a Laptop, nor does it want to be either. A laptop is a device which gave us the same functionality as a PC and more, on the move… but was basically a replacement for a PC device, and based on the same technology, running the same operating systems and programs. The laptop like the PC is a device designed for the Client / Server environment, the Tablet on the other hand is a device for a new era.

Imagine 10 years from now… businesses will look very different, Collaborations and Joint Ventures will mean quite sizeable businesses can and will be operated by smart business owners over the Internet, working together across spatial distances. ‘On-The-Move’ computing using highly portable devices will be essential and we will want to access our ‘Information resources’ anywhere and anytime. Business owners will want 24/7 capability to interact and engage with social networks such as Facebook, Linked in, Twitter, and FourSquare and be able to update blog sites from anywhere with photos and video as things happen, immediately.

Much of the above can be done already with iPhones and Android devices and many of those operating at the micro end of the SME marketplace are on board, using Smart Mobile devices to communicate regularly with their networks and followers. Over the next 10 years the more traditional SME with offices and staff must also learn to transform their businesses. In order to remain competitive they have to change, they have to adapt to the hyper-networked new business model… or they will quietly slip away.

The ‘New Business Model’ requires us to be able to operate in a highly flexible manner and connect to our business systems from anywhere, 24/7, in other words, on the cloud. There are many overwhelming reasons why businesses should adapt to the cloud, but this is not the purpose of this article… but once business systems are on the cloud… look what happens.

Suddenly, we can operate our entire business through a web browser. Whether we are placing purchase orders, invoicing, sending client statements, retrieving files, creating spreadsheets, wordprocessed documents or even simple file image manipulation we can do all of this via the Internet. We can even create and run marketing campaigns from the other side of the world!

With simple access to the Internet, the vast majority of the ‘Transactions’ that regular users want to perform ‘day-in-day-out’ can be performed via a web browser, we no longer need local programs or local storage, it is all on the web! What we need now is not a Laptop or a PC, what we need is a slim, no wires (or mouse), always on, multi functional Tablet computer. The Tablet is the device we need for the ‘New Business Model’. The Tablet is the device I had been waiting for since 2001… The Tablet is a useable window onto my data, wherever I am. The Laptop and the PC like the Client / Server infrastructure is coming to the end of its natural life cycle. As the ‘Cloud Computing’ model gathers pace with new Cloud solutions relentlessly emerging for us, so we herald in the start of a new era… the era of the Tablet computer.

And so… not just a Big Smart phone, the Tablet is a device which will serve to assist our migration to ‘Cloud based Business Systems’ over the coming years. Always on and with instant access to all our data in the palm of our hand coupled with built in data protection (very little local data to lose or manage) these devices make Laptops and even Netbooks start to look very clunky… and the fact that these Tablets are attractive, press all the right buttons for Leisure purposes, and have a truly amazing user interface is really icing on the cake, and makes them both highly desirable and a real joy to use!

Chris Ogle is Managing Director of Internet Power Systems Ltd. and is author of his best selling book, In 2 The Clouds. Chris has lived in Watford, England for the majority of his life and is a keen Table Tennis player.

In a career spanning 30 years in the computer industry Chris has worked with 000′s of businesses from small Micro companies through to large multinationals such as Laing O’Rourke. With the exposure to such a diverse range of businesses and their operating processes coupled with his technical background Chris was well placed to design and create one of the first completely web based business platforms for SME’s. Drawing on 7 years of providing Cloud computing solutions to the SME marketplace coupled with a detailed understanding of Internet Marketing has culminated in SME7 – 7 Steps to getting the Business that you really want – more Profit, more time and more Choices! Chris’s book ‘In 2 The Clouds’ takes us through these 7 Steps and removes the mystery of escaping the rat race ‘no time and no money’ to the more desirable ‘More money and more time to enjoy it’!.

Business Transition Programme go to http://www.sme7.com. To find out more about the author go to http://www.ipsx.co.uk/chrisogle_home.htm

Cloud Computing Explained 

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