Have you ever wondered how cloud computing got its name? Despite popular opinion, cloud computing has nothing to do with the clouds in the sky. Instead, information is transferred to and from data centers, which are shaped nothing like clouds. Yet, there are similarities between the two clouds. We will compare them side-by-side to help you better understand cloud computing.

Cloud Storage

• A cloud from nature stores water.
• Cloud computing stores data.

In the same way that clouds are filled with rainwater, cloud computing stores information like files, music, videos, applications, and more. You will often see marketing for cloud computing services make this connection by using a cloud graphic with data a consumer values pictured inside of a cloud. Unfortunately, the prevalence of this marketing campaign has led to almost half of the public believing that cloud computing actually stores data inside of real clouds, and therefore, cloud computing is a bad idea because sometimes there are no clouds in the sky.

Accessing the Cloud

• Nature's clouds require the weather to be just right before releasing their bounty upon the earth.
• The data stored by cloud computing can be accessed from anywhere at any time.

Maybe one day we will have the ability to store our data in the sky, but for now, files are stored in data centers, which are large warehouses full of servers. One big difference between real clouds and data centers is that retrieving your files from a data center is much easier than extracting rain on command from a cloud. With cloud computing, all you need is an Internet connection to retrieve your data whenever you need it, but with a weather cloud, you will have to perform a rain dance.

Cloudburst

• A weather cloud will burst forth rain water.
• Cloud computing will burst when traffic spikes.

When a cloud from nature bursts, the vegetation on the land below will benefit and grow. When virtual clouds burst, it's the result of too much demand on the network. Unlike rain, which can be beneficial, a cloud computing burst can be damaging to your business. This is why it's important to be extra careful when choosing a cloud provider to host your company's important data.

You will want to make sure your cloud computing company is big enough to host your data, and have all the resources your business will need as you grow. You will also want to ask your potential cloud provider about the overall size of their operation. How many clients are they hosting? Are they continually expanding to keep up with growth? Do they redundantly backup data to multiple locations? These questions are worth asking in order to avoid a cloud computing burst.

One last comparison we will make between the two clouds is "making it rain." By choosing a cloud provider that's right for your organization's needs, you can use cloud computing to make it rain a flood of money for your business. Network Synergy can provide you with the best cloud computing solution for your business because we take the time to understand your company's unique needs. To contact Network Synergy and learn more about cloud computing, call us today at (203) 261-2201.