What is cloud computing?

Let us simplify this with a simple example: Gmail is a cloud service. Having said that, this doesn't mean that any service hosted on the web is a cloud service. Cloud Computing Services must have following 5 attributes:



---available everywhere i.e. uses Internet technologies, hassle-free, in most cases no installations/downloads etc.

---available on demand i.e. metered like your electric bills.

---can be accessed on any device i.e. device independent.

---Resource Sharing i.e Multi-Tenant (ability of the software to be offered to multiple users),

---Scalable %26amp; Elastic i.e. capacity can be sized up or sized down with in minutes, based on demand. Your business is growing you spin up more servers %26amp; pay only for whatever you use. Come recession %26amp; if your business is shrinking use less number of servers %26amp; pay less. This is as simple %26amp; quick as a simple configuration/settings. (No need to buy infrastructure which may lie idle/unproductive once your business doesn't require them)



A common user will use Cloud SaaS (Gmail, Dropbox etc). Developers %26amp; techies use Cloud IaaS (hosting infrastructure) %26amp; PaaS (development environment).



A simple yet elaborate article (with examples) on cloud computing is here:



http://www.techno-pulse.com/2009/12/clou鈥?/a>What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing is a tricky subject because there are many definitions of what constitutes cloud computing.

But in general, the concept is that of providing computing resources as a service to the end user, whether that is a service which is free or not is up to the service provider. Generally, cloud computing contains multiple servers which host the application and data to provide redundancy, scalability and to live up to SLA's(Service Level Agreements) provided as part of the service.

A cloud computing application is any application that can be delivered over the web browser without requiring installation and configuration of that application.

It is not required that a cloud computing application be "on the internet" for it to be considered as such. It could simply be a distributed application on a corporate intranet.
Cloud computing is where your data and computer programs reside on a computer--called a "server"--somewhere else. You only use your computer at home to communicate with server. Since your computer at home holds none of the data or computer programs, it doesn't matter what computer you use to communicate with the server. You can go to a friend's house, log into the cloud computer using your friend's computer, and all your data and computer programs will still be sitting there available to you.What is cloud computing?
Basically, putting your data in the Internet. Other concepts include instant. You save, you change, it gets updates everywhere instantly. I'm a developer, and I build cloud apps.



Basically, the cloud is a term for a server that has a lot of essential data, that's available everywhere once you change something, made easy with Ajax and PHP/MySQL
I don't think I will ever use cloud computing because it might not be safe once the hackers start doing their thing. Anyway, I think you will have to pay for it, and as I pay enough now for different things I do know, I think I will keep using external dria few usbs.What is cloud computing?
Cloud is just hard drive space that is on the Internet and you can put stuff in the cloud or space instead of your hard drive.