Cloud Computing-What are the Pros and Cons?

We’ve all heard a lot lately about cloud computing. Using “the cloud” has become a buzz phrase around the world. What is cloud computing and what does it offer to you? Is it really so different from what you’re using now?

Chances are that you’re not entirely sure what cloud computing really is and what kind of advantages or issues it has to offer to your business.

What is Cloud Computing?

While the typical buzzword name may be relatively new, cloud computing isn’t. If you’re using Trello as a mapping system, or even gmail or Google docs, you’ve been using cloud computing for a long time. All that the name implies is that you’re able to use the products that you own or have anywhere in the world, from any computer in the world. Some cloud computing methods take that a step further, like Google hangouts and allow you to have collaborative meetings or to work on one whiteboard for projects. This means that you’re far more productive in many ways than you have ever been able to be up until now.

Cloud computing allows for rapid collaboration across the internet. More traditional methods depend upon a meeting and in that meeting you may accomplish some measure of work but it will stop when the meeting stops and depend on regular email or instant messaging communication. At some point it all comes to a halt unless and until you have the input of the rest of the team to complete your project.

One great example of this is the way in which Google documents allows you to share information readily across multiple areas, lets everyone add their input so that the process doesn’t stop to wait for someone to approve or to be able to view the work. You and your team are going to be a lot more productive when it comes to what you can get done and how rapidly you can share the work.

What’s the Down Side of Cloud Computing?
Strictly speaking,the down side is the myth that cloud computing is much more secure and is less likely to be hacked or to be obtained by people who have no business viewing it. That myth, perhaps propagated by those who sell cloud computing, is just that… a myth. Cloud computing is not the be-all and end-all of security, but does tend to make others believe that it is more secure and as such they behave in a less secure way.

Bear in mind that while cloud computing can be more readily backed up and that the company in charge of it usually does so, it is also readily breached as the many invasions and denial of service attacks on cloud computing services lately have shown us. Be as careful of your passwords and other information as you would be if your hosting were on your own services.

Cloud computing can give you a decided edge and help you to increase your productivity dramatically if you use it with a view toward security.