So what the hell is the cloud?
Lets try youtubing it. The first result for "Cloud computing" in youtube is a 9 minute long video. Run through it quickly and you willl see that the big guys dont seem to have a common definition of the cloud. There is a bit of the internet, some complex sounding terms and a lot of vagueness :
Lets try this one:
Interesting video.. very informative - gives a lot of information about how the internet works, but one still doesnt understand why the cloud is so different, what the cloud exactly is, and how it is constructed. Now, let us see what the CEO of Oracle has to say:
THAT seems to make sense! There is nothing new about the cloud! And as you check out more videos and as the picture of the cloud gets cloudier, you will probably start agreeing with Larry Ellison...
Now, the Wikipedia entry for cloud computing starts off with a geeky
"Cloud computing is Internet (cloud) based development and use of computer technology (computing), whereby dynamically scalable and often virtualised resources are provided as a service over the Internet"
???????????
What the hell does that mean? Relax. As we read further, we see "The cloud is a metaphor for the Internet...". BINGO! Thats all there is to it. The cloud is basically the internet as we use it today. Just that. The internet. A hyped up, cool version of the internet.
Let me answer 2 questions that are probably clouding your mind now:
Q1) If the cloud is just the internet, what were those 2 long videos in the beginning talking about?
If you notice carefully, they were simply describing the internet as it is today. Interconnected.. you dont care where your data is stored.. can be accessed using multiple devices.. blahblah.. It is simply describing the internet you are connected to right now. The difference between the Internet and the Cloud is the same difference between the Ford Model T and a BMW. And cloud computing is basically using this "cloud" to do computing.
Q2) So then, why cant we just call it the internet?
It's not cool enough!
Every now and then the IT industry (like any other industry) comes up with buzzwords like "Web 2.0" and "Cloud Computing" to reinforce the "cool" factor and also to make sure the distance between the IT guys and everyone else increases. (A simple way to maintain price level you see..)
So, the next time I tell you that my software has built-in "Cloud" functionality, remember that I probably just mean that it can connect to the internet!
