Tech For Free!

I want to take some time to explain some infamous “cloud” term(s), which you have probably heard floating around your office or the internetZ lately.

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve spent a fair amount of time reading about “the clouds,” cloud computing, and various cloud services. There’s a lot happening out there, but without really understanding the lingo, it’s hard to move to the place of formulating your own thoughts and strategies surrounding your cloud.

There are some great formal explanations out there, but many lack that basic language the “non-techy” needs when trying to grasp a new technological concept. Take for example Wikipedia. Its defines the cloud “…as a metaphor for the Internet, based on how the Internet is depicted in computer network diagrams, and is an abstraction for the complex infrastructure it conceals.” Not exactly a user friendly definition or description. That said, I would like to offer up my definitions and explanations.

The Cloud. In short, the cloud is the Internet, and as Wikipedia noted, the term “cloud” is a metaphor for the Internet. The great thing about the cloud (aka the Internet), is that you can access it from different locations (for example home or work) and from different devices (laptop/phone). The requirement to accessing the cloud is an internet connection (dialup, broadband, cell phone data networks).

Your Cloud. This refers to you going to the cloud (aka the internet) to access information that belongs specifically to you. Most people already have their own cloud, but aren’t aware of it. For example, if you access your email through a web-based services such as Gmail, Yahoo, .Mac, or any other webmail services (perhaps your office offers the ability to access your email through a website), you are accessing your cloud.

Cloud Computing. A phrase used to reference the idea that people (using computers) can “work from the cloud”.

Working From Your Cloud. Most people perform the majority of their work by using software installed on their computer like Microsoft Office. A document is created or edited, and then it is saved/stored computer for future reference. As long as you have access to that computer, you have access to your files. If you need to work from home, you need to manually move your files to your home (save to a disk/email the file), and when you are ready to work from the office again, you move the file back. To work from your cloud means that you are accessing your files from the Internet, which means that your physical location is irrelevant because your files/data are located on a website. No matter where you are you can always access that data so long as you have an internet connection. Working from your cloud can look very different per person.

Exampes of Working From Your Cloud

• As I mentioned earlier, a common way in which people are working from their cloud is to access email via webmail. By visiting a website, one can read, compose, send and delete messages through a webpage instead of downloading email messages to a computer which can cause synchronization problems and confusion when attempting to manage email from multiple locations or devices. Geek Alert: Certainly one could argue that email cloud computing doesn’t require the use of webmail, but for the purposes of providing a solid example of how cloud computing looks with regard to email, lets just say that at the very least that webmail is the most tangible explanation.

• Another way to work from your cloud is to utilize a service (through a website) that meets your production needs. Depending upon the type of work performed there may be a service (free or fee based) that fits the bill. For example, if someone primarily used Microsoft Word or Excel, there’s a good chance that Google Docs or Zoho Docs might serve as an adequate replacement. These applications/services allow you to create, edit, and share word processing and spreadsheet documents through their website without requiring a download of use of software and ensure that you have access to the most current version of the document.

• It’s true that some forms of cloud computing do not require the downloading of a file, or use of special software, but some do. In fact, a common way in which someone can be working from their cloud is to keep files stored on a website (usually by signing up for a free or fee based service such as Apple’s iDisk or Mozy) or some type of file sharing server. To work on a file, the file is downloaded and edited using software on that computer. When the work is complete its uploaded so that in the future, and regardless of location, the most current version of that file can be accessed.

• The last example I will share is about collaboration. There are several free and fee *synchronous (Dimdim & WebEx) and **asynchronous (Write Board & Google Docs) web-based collaboration that allow you to share a document with meeting invitees. Sign up with a service, send out an invite list via email along with a link to a website and viola! you’ve got yourself a meeting without the need for travel.

Summary
To work from your cloud really just means that you are working with files you’ve stored on the internet, which may or may not need to be downloaded and used with special software, so that you can work from any location or device that has an internet connection while confident in knowing that you have the most current version.