Cloud computing is the evolution of a variety of technologies that have come together to change an organization approach to build an IT infrastructure. Business executives have long been frustrated with the complexities of getting their computing needs met quickly and cost effectively. You can do a lot on the cloud. You can do everything from running applications to storing data off-site. You can run entire operating systems on the cloud. Cloud computing service providers are those companies that you turn to cloud services. There are big names like Amazon, Microsoft and Google offering cloud services.

Software
How do you know if the application you use is a cloud? If you can walk into any library or internet café and sit down at any computer without preference for any operating system or browser and access a service, that application is a cloud service. You do not install anything on your desktop, and you do not pay for the technology when you are not using it. At a basic level they are free, but more robust applications can be accessed with a subscription.

Hardware
In general, hardware in the cloud is conceptually harder for people to accept than software in the cloud. With hardware in the cloud, you request a ‘new server’ when you need it. It is ready as quickly as 10 minutes after your request. When you are done with it, you release it and it disappears back into the cloud.

Storage
Cloud storage enables you to ‘throw’ data into the cloud and without worrying about how it is stored or backed up. When you need the data, you simply reach into the cloud and grab it.

But for all the usefulness of the cloud provides, there are also things you do not want to turn to the cloud for. There are simply some applications that you want to run locally. For instance, mission-critical business processes may best be maintained locally. You might want to check if you can export your data from cloud applications into some standard format and able to import easily into other applications. In case you need to change vendor, your data can be brought over. It can be an agony when you dislike the software and still have to pay a monthly recurring fee. There is also an issue of security and regulation. After all, once you send your data to the cloud, you lose complete control over it and it runs a greater risk of being compromised. For cloud hardware, you have no idea what physical server your cloud-based server is running, and you probably don’t even know its geographical location.

For all the stuff you can do on the cloud now, we are really just in the cloud’s infancy stage. Let’s wait and see for greater cutting edge, innovative solutions that are compelling enough that you will consider making your move over to the cloud.