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The Future of Technology Through Cloud Computing

By Bryan Jensen
Faculty Member at American Military University

Cloud computing has become a popular term in the information technology world in the past five years. It involves any type of service that is hosted on the Internet. These services can include platform, software, or infrastructure. One of the major benefits of cloud computing is that it is provided by an outside party not necessarily related to the entity requiring the services. Interest in cloud computing has become significantly more prevalent in recent years due to the spread of high-speed Internet access, virtualization, and a weak economy which is requiring companies do more with less.

[Interested in the Cloud? Learn more about an online certificate in Cloud Computing at AMU.]

The cloud can be public or private. Public examples of cloud computing are Google Docs, Amazon Services, Dropbox, and any of the myriad of online apps that access the cloud that are now available from Apple and Android. Private examples of the cloud are provided by entities that specifically provide their services only to specific customers for a price. The overall goal of cloud computing is to provide easily scalable access to computing resources and services.

According to the International Data Corporation by the year 2015 24% of all new business software purchases will be tied to the cloud, accounting for 13% of worldwide software spending. More than 50% of all computing workload will also be done in the cloud due to its economic feasibility and the ability to access the services anywhere, anytime. Cloud computing is already generating a significant number of jobs in the U.S, and it has the potential to create hundreds if not thousands of new positions in the future. This will also build a large number of business opportunities for those wishing to start up cloud-hosting services for companies in dire need of a way to cut costs yet still maintain their competitive edge.

Several certification authorities offer cloud computing certifications, such as IBM, Google, CompTIA, and Microsoft. Cloud computing is proving to be one of the biggest commodities of the second decade of the 21st century, and along with mobile computing stands to be the next big Internet phenomenon.

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