| With all this talk about clouds, I decided to delve a little | | | | Cloud computing is no doubt one of the hottest trends |
| bit deeper into this new buzz word.So what is this | | | | in technology right now, but with this ease of access |
| "cloud" anyway? I got on my laptop and went straight | | | | also comes a price. Besides just the obvious monetary |
| to the source... Google. I typed in "Google Cloud" and hit | | | | cost, which ranges depending on provider, the clouds |
| the search button on Google. I found many results, | | | | also come with hidden risks. Many privacy advocates |
| 85,900,000 to be exact. Many of the results on the first | | | | have voiced concerns about what companies that |
| page were for Google's new Docs and Print | | | | offer these clouds are doing with the information on |
| programs. While these results all relate to the topic, I | | | | them. Sure, in theory, the clouds sound like a great idea, |
| wanted to see the homepage for the "cloud", so I kept | | | | but are we letting big corporations know too much |
| looking. The website offers a simple format where | | | | about us? Aside from that, Google still does not offer |
| searches appear in a tag cloud form, with emphasis on | | | | encryption on its cloud, with the exception of log-in |
| the more popular searches. So naturally, I searched for | | | | information. This is a never ending debate, as |
| the term "Google Cloud" here too, That sent me back | | | | technology is always evolving and privacy is slowly |
| to the original search results on Google. I came back to | | | | eroding, as we move further into the future. |
| the articles on Docs and Print to see if they offered | | | | So basically Google is offering an alternative means of |
| anymore insight. It was in these blog write-ups that I | | | | accessing files on the go. Users can store data in |
| started to get an idea what the "cloud" really meant. | | | | "clouds" that they pay for a piece of. While security in |
| Ok, so to be fair it's not just Google who is "in the | | | | the cloud databases still has not quite yet been |
| clouds", so to speak. I discovered Microsoft also has | | | | perfected, even the US government is using similar |
| their own cloud based services, Azure and, the | | | | cloud systems. We don't know what the future holds |
| appropriately named, Skydrive. Google, along with | | | | for Google's cloud, or the many other developing |
| Microsoft, IBM, Apple, and others, offer storage to | | | | clouds, but if tech crazes like Apple's iPhone hold any |
| back up documents and files online. These files are | | | | clues for us, clouds are poised to take over as the |
| stored on a virtual hard drive that can be accessed | | | | new way to store files and save or print documents |
| from anywhere, instead of tying you down to a PC or | | | | away from the home or office. With Google's |
| thumbdrive. This makes sense with many of the other | | | | immense internet presence and the strength of the |
| trends we have seen from software and hardware | | | | Google brand, the Google Cloud will likely become one |
| developers lately. Everything is becoming more | | | | of the top names in the clouds. |
| portable and easier to access, whenever and | | | | Written by: Peter Boimare |
| wherever you want. Why shouldn't Google get a piece | | | | See this entire article, complete with pictures and |
| of the pie? | | | | diagrams, on Work Hard, Play Hard Like a Guru. |