Nearly everything you wanted to know about the Cloud but you didn’t know the questions to ask.
There is nothing mysterious about the “cloud” it is simply something you want to do, but it happens on the internet.
Explain more!
Rather then you owning kit and software to do a job, someone else, for free or for a charge, makes the hardware and software available on the internet to do the job for you as a service. Some cloud services include interaction with and between the users.
Moving to the cloud…
Encyclopedia Britanica became Encarta became Wikipedia
You just need to get online and use a client to contact the service.
What’s a client?
You are already familiar with client software – the program you use to get your email is refered to by geeks as a client. The app on your phone that tells you where the nearest Tesco is, is a client. The app checks your location on the phone and then sends it to computers via the internet. Those computers check databases and then return the information to your phone – the phone did not do the processing, it happened on the cloud.
Many times you can contact a cloud service by using a web browser as the client. Do you use Google? Then you use the cloud.
But do I need to be online?
This can be an issue – if you cannot get online then you cannot get to the service. This is not as big an issue as people think as many clients have an “offline” mode so when the client can contact the service it synchronises your changes.
Some forward planning helps
At Octagon we use our online secure sever to store files in the cloud. However I also keep a selection of the most important and most used files on my iPhone and iPad so I do not have to be online to use them. This is not very different to when I had to carry files on a floppy disc or memory stick. When I update these files, offline, I use a program (client) to keep them synchronised between my devices.
Two things we use the cloud for:
Backups – is it an ideal place to keep offsite backups (Octagon offers UK based secure cloud backup storage)
Hosted Exchange – email, contacts, diary and notes all online and available across any device without the high costs of having our own hardware and software and without the risks associated with that equipment breaking down. (We have a hosted exchange package that we can offer which includes, redirection to your web site, our help to set up and expert support.)
This is ten minutes – now do you have any questions?
If so call me or email me.
Clive
Support and Technical Director – Octagon Technology Ltd
E: clive at octagontech dot com
M: 07943 537804
Twitter @OctagonT
I have other things to say at Clive’s Blog or at @clivecatton
