What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing, also known as  Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), has revolutionized the way we think about technology. The advantage of cloud computing, or web-based software, is that users can store files and software remotely, rather than on local personal computers and servers, saving time, resources and costs. The Cloud Computing model allows users to seamlessly and continuously use computing resources and minimize costly downtime for maintenance and upgrades.

What are Cloud Computing Applications?

The Cloud represents the Internet, stemming from its roots as a standard image used in flowcharts. “Cloud computing” is the use of the Internet - not only to run applications but to manage them and store respective data.  Until recently, most software programs ran on personal computers or were based on a client server computing model that implemented both a thin ‘client’ and a thick ‘server’ - housed within a company’s server room or the server room of a local service provider.  

Over the last few years, cloud computing has rapidly grown from an untested technology paradigm to a reliable, scalable, and economical hosting solution for many businesses.  It represents the realization of the earlier ideals of utility computing without the technical complexities or complicated deployment worries.  Gone are the traditional hassles dealt with in many IT departments such as service pack upgrades to your server operating systems, back-up systems, and virus scanning, among other tasks.

The benefits of Salesforce.com include the ability to:

• Build and deploy applications five times faster than traditional software platforms
• Save up to 50% of the cost of traditional software applications
• Leverage real-time analytics through reports and dashboards
• Scale and grow through rich customizable user interfaces and robust security & sharing capabilities