Cloud computing

Cloud computing is a popular phrase that is shorthand for applications that were developed to be rich Internet applications that run on the Internet (or "cloud"). In the cloud computing paradigm, software that is traditionally installed on personal computers is shifted or extended to be accessible via the Internet. These "cloud applications" or "cloud apps" utilize massive data centers and powerful servers that host web applications and web services. They can be accessed by anyone with a suitable Internet connection and a standard web browser.

Architecture

The architecture behind cloud computing is a massive network of "cloud servers" interconnected as if in a grid running in parallel, sometimes using the technique of virtualization to maximize computing power per server.

See also

• Utility computing
• Web operating system

External links

• Wired Magazine: The Information Factories
• ZDNet: Google CEO's new paradigm: 'cloud computing and advertising go hand-in-hand'
• The New York Times: Why Can't We Compute in the Cloud?
• Zimdesk: Complete Cloud Computing System
• Nature Magazine. "Head in the clouds" by Eric Hand. October 24, 2007.
• [1]