Working in the Cloud: Time to Get Up There or ‘Things Are Getting Cloudy’

If you try a Google search for ‘cloud’, those fluffy white things you see in the sky are the second result. What kind of world do we live in where the ancient practice of nephology places behind this Johnny-come-lately known as cloud computing?

Well, the modern working world. The idea of the ‘cloud’ is fairly simple, instead of things like data and applications being stored locally on the hard disk of a computer, they are stored out there on the internet. This way, users can access data from any computer, not just one specific one. If you don’t have qualms about storing data in the cloud, meaning you trust the party holding your information, or it is done internally, the cloud concept can make your life better.

At Salty Waffle, our entire office is basically in the cloud. For example, when I write blogs, I save them in a Google Document. The means that I can not only allow access to others via an invitation, I can also open up and work on those documents anywhere I can get internet access. Anything I type is saved live so even if something were to happen to my computer, it would not be lost.

Not only is the security a great benefit, it also allows a document to truly live. Multiple people can view, edit, and otherwise control the document, creating a true collaborative opportunity. This is the essence of cloud computing, with internet speed and quality and a level that can now support it, things are moving up, off our temperamental machines and into a common space.

Companies that offer cloud based services are growing; even the latest version of Microsoft Office is taking it to the cloud. Personally, I use a great service called Dropbox to keep all of my documents available and synced across my computers.

The way of the cloud is clearly the way of the future and tomorrow’s great products are out there now. Give yourself peace of mind, convenience, and don’t miss you or your company’s next flight into the cloud.