Commentary by Feras Mash
Some people always thought the cloud is just this white “thing” in the sky that provides shade, precipitation or a beautiful sight to see.
But then came technology and its “cloud.” That changed the perception a bit and confused us all. So, what is the cloud and why should you care about it?
In a nutshell, the cloud is a vast network of servers and computers that have unique functionality and purpose to serve mankind with tasks such as streaming videos, delivering email, providing software services or social media, among other functions. So, instead of accessing files and data from a local computer, you’re accessing them online from any internet-capable device, and information is available anywhere you go and anytime you need it.
The cloud has many variations, such as public, private and hybrid, but they all do almost the same thing: Deliver information when needed. The cloud is controlled and delivered by conglomerate cloud-computing providers such as Google, Amazon and Apple.
So, why should you care about the cloud? Well, you really don’t since you’re probably already using the cloud for your email, which was the first cloud application that ran on the internet. You just access the tools you need such as email, Facebook, YouTube and whatever you want and use out of the box without knowing or caring it is being run through the cloud. This approach saves consumers and businesses money and resources, allows for multi-device support, provides easy file and data sharing and accessibility with massive storage space.
If one had to do what the cloud does on a massive scale, he or she would have to spend millions of dollars. Instead, we pay $19.95 for a subscription and get all we want or need without forking out a fortune.
So, the cloud is cool and it’s here to stay.
