There you have it. The cloud is a means of non-physical, Internet-based storage which allows you to access data and software services from anywhere in the world, so long as you have a strong connection to the Internet.
To consider the technology in another way: what do you think of when you think of clouds? Clouds are free-floating entities that exist in space. Clouds aren’t physically tethered to the ground, just as the data that you store online isn’t tethered to a single computer.
In the old days, we used computer hard drives, floppy disks and CDs to store our data and we could only access that data through one device, the device which physically contained the storage card. Thanks to the onset of cloud storage, those days are over. We’ve successfully untethered our storage from our physical devices allowing for streaming services and online information to be accessed anywhere in the world from smartphones, desktop computers, tablets, and laptops, alike.
So why is all of our storage technology shifting over to the cloud? For one, cloud storage technology is the most convenient for consumers. Its greatest benefit is that home users don’t need expensive, high-end computers or devices to use cloud services because remote servers handle all of the storage offsite. You, yourself have probably accessed Yahoo Mail, Netflix and Hulu from a range of devices which have varied in quality.
Unfortunately, because all of the storage takes place offsite, a bad or slow Internet connection within your home may prevent you from accessing your data and cloud-based programs. On the flipside, your computer may be running fine, but if the service provider experiences technical errors on its end – you won’t be able to access your data or program. That being said, the pros outweigh the cons which is why we won’t be seeing a resurgence of floppy disks or CD’s anytime soon.
Make sense? The forecast for cloud solutions is that they’re not going away anytime soon – and now you know how they work! If iyou ever needa refresher, take a look at our take home guide.
For more information on the cloud or any other technology pertaiing to you home visit our FAQ page, Resource Center or send us a quick chat! We’re happy to help.
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