…even if you don’t know it.
Hey, it’s true. 95% of people have used the cloud and just don’t know it! That’s because it’s not well-understood. Cloud computing is the world of files, applications and computing resources offered to users via the Internet. Basically, any type of Web service or app that is accessed online is in the cloud.
Online Storage
Storage is what people most commonly think of when they think of cloud computing. But even so, many people don’t understand the broadness of cloud storage services. We’ve heard it often:
“What do you do?”
“I work at a cloud computing company.”
“Oh! So, that’s just iCloud, right?”
Well…no. iCloud is a great example, but there are dozens more – ShareFile, Dropbox, and Flickr, to name a few.
Cloud storage is like moving your flash drive to the Internet. Instead of loading up a little device with files only to forget to bring it on your business trip when you need it most, people today simply upload their files directly to the Internet. This includes documents, photos, music and more. We can then access this information from any Internet-capable device, in any location with Internet access.
Social Media
Guess what? Social media is a cloud-based communication method. Yup. That thing we use every day to communicate, stay informed, check in on our favorite celebrities, give snarky feedback to businesses, share funny links, tell the world what we just ate…it’s all happening in the cloud because it’s a service we use via the Internet.
There’s been a major shift in how people interact, thanks to social media. The world’s conversations are happening online, and when you think about that, it’s pretty cool. Today it’s easy to reach every single corner of the globe through mediums like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn – the list goes on and on. Traditional mediums are struggling to keep up because live feeds constantly update with news or trending topics. It’s easy for parents to keep in touch with their college-bound children, or for grandparents to see grandchildren for the first time via Skype. Companies can gain valuable business insight from interactions happening on their social media profiles. And this is all possible because of cloud computing.
Online Billing, Shopping, Banking
Okay – so you could write a check, put it in an envelope, smack a stamp on it and stick it in the mailbox three days in advance to make sure your electricity bill is paid on time.
OR, you could create an online account, click a button on the day the bill is due, and be done with it.
Guess what most people prefer? The latter. It’s easier than ever to pay our bills, check account balances or buy that jacket we’ve been wanting for ages without leaving the house. These services we’ve implemented into our lives without a second thought are all cloud services. They may be vastly different in purpose than social media, but because you access them through the Internet to share, save or gather information, you’re working in the cloud.
And That’s Not Even All
This list could truly continue for countless paragraphs. The following are examples of cloud-based services that people use every single day: Evernote, Gmail (and Google Maps, Analytics, Drive, Docs and more), Amazon, Netflix, Prezi, Fandango, PayPal, Constant Contact, Pandora, Yelp, Spotify, Adobe Creative Cloud, Kindle, etc.
Without even noticing, we have implemented the cloud into our routines of communicating, informing, working, exercising, commuting and entertaining. The cloud already plays a huge role in our personal, daily lives. Imagine what would happen if you consciously used it for your business.
