What exactly are cloud solutions?

The cloud is a new century term for something most of us are well accustomed to. It refers to any type of data access or storage on the internet. If you ever had an AOL, Yahoo or Gmail email account, congratulations, you are an early adopter of cloud technologies.

A Little History
It all began when IT professionals would depict the internet as a cloud, for lack of a better representation of the concept, in their network diagrams.

As internet based services became more and more available, the reference to anything internet related as cloud stuck. And so, in the simplest of terms, cloud solutions are those that provide the access of data or services over the internet.

As varied as the services are, the benefits tend to be the same across the board.

Affordability - Because the services are offered on an as needed basis, you will pay for what you use. It allows for small business friendly pricing.

Scalability - Cloud solutions can be scaled up or down based on your immediate needs.

Reliability - Cloud solution vendors have multiple locations with redundant power sources and high level security policies. The data they store for their clients is backed up and kept in redundant locations for the highest level of access and reliability.

Cost Effectiveness - Because there is no out of pocket cost for the initial investment in the hardware that will be used, it can be the most cost effective solution for your technology needs.