What is cloud-computing?

I think simplygr8's answer is too technical.The first thing you need to understand is that the "cloud" is just another word for the Internet.Basically, cloud computing is 鈥渟ervices and applications that are hosted on and accessed through the Internet.鈥滻f you want to see cloud computing in action then you could try Google Apps which lets you create documents without the need to install any software.The files you create are saved in a cloud(ie: the internet) any you have no worries of losing your data if your computer crashes.Visit Google Apps at http://www.google.com/apps/



Hope this has helped.What is cloud-computing?
Cloud computing is Internet based development and use of computer technology. In concept, it is a paradigm shift whereby details are abstracted from the users who no longer need knowledge of, expertise in, or control over the technology infrastructure "in the cloud" that supports them. It typically involves the provision of dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources as a service over the Internet.



The term cloud is used as a metaphor for the Internet, based on how the Internet is depicted in computer network diagrams and is an abstraction of the underlying infrastructure it conceals.Typical cloud computing services provide common business applications online that are accessed from a web browser, while the software and data are stored on the servers.



These services are broadly divided into three categories: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). The name cloud computing was inspired by the cloud symbol that is often used to represent the Internet in flow charts and diagrams.