Cloud Computing is rapidly becoming the “in” buzz phrase. Does this mean that it is all talk/no action? Definitely not. For many businesses or organizations, cloud computing can be a cost-effective way to have a great deal of control over your server/internet presence, without the overhead of maintaining servers or connections. For many, however, defining what is and is not cloud computing still remains a challenge.
The Computer Security Resource Center of the National Institute for Standards and Technology has come up with a definition that seems to not only define it, but it also describes it fairly well:
“Cloud computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.”
There is quite a bit more to it, but that one sentence will cover it for most who might need clarification. It wouldn’t hurt, and most likely will help, to have this handy when the discussion turns towards the future of your library servers.
found via Channel Insider Blog
