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Don’t Have Just Your Head in the Cloud
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Cloud-based technology can be a big advantage for the small operator CLOUDS. Throughout the centuries, clouds have indicated power and mystery. The Greek gods lived on Mount Olympus above the clouds. The heavenly kingdom has always been imagined in the clouds above the earth. Thoughts of freedom are represented by birds soaring through the clouds.
By Roy Strasburger, President, StrasGlobal
When I travel, one of the things that always mesmerizes me is looking at the tops of clouds while flying in an airplane. I find it fascinating that something so delicate can look amazingly solid from above. Have you ever had the experience of being in the window seat and watching as the plane descends into a cloudbank? It’s like entering the ocean. As you gradually drop, you see the clouds rising up toward you. Small wisps of vapor come off the surface like steam. As you continue in your descent, it looks like you’re going to land on a surface covered with snow. The plane continues to fall and gradually, like the water rising in a bathtub, the cloud slowly engulfs the plane — rising above your window until all that is outside is white. So, how did we come to associate clouds with computing? No doubt, you are familiar with terms like “storing it in the cloud” or “the software is in the cloud.” Cloud-based technology has become all the rage in helping companies maintain their data and support their business. In case you’re not familiar with the term, “cloud computing” basically means that
instead of storing information on a hard drive in your office, you are using a hard drive located somewhere else. And because no one knows where that server is, we just say it’s “in the cloud.” Actually, I’m joking about that last part. The reason it is called a “cloud” is because there are millions of computer servers linked to each other around the world that share data and resources so that you have instant access to your information anytime you want it. Your information is everywhere — like a cloud. As this technology continues to develop, it is becoming cheaper and easier to use. The cloud can be a big advantage for the small operator. Not only does using the cloud decrease your equipment cost, but it also can ensure that your computer security is up to date and that you constantly have a backup copy of your information located off your premise. So, how can a small operator take advantage of cloud-based computer technology? Using the cloud breaks down into three components: software, storage and security. Let’s have a look at each one of these to see how it can benefit your business.
Software Those of you who are old enough to remember the time before 2010 will know that back then, when you purchased a software program, you actually bought a physical box containing either a floppy disk or a CD-ROM. The software was contained on these physical objects; you inserted them into your computer and copied the software program onto your computer’s hard drive. This meant that if something happened to your computer, you lost your software. Having the software reside on your computer also took up a lot of space on your hard drive in order to store it. By today’s standards, that is a lose-lose situation. Today, you can buy a software program either by purchasing it online or through a subscription-based service and the software resides on a computer other than your own. Your computer communicates to the cloud computer and gets the
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