Cloud Computing Basics

Abstract

C loud computing is everywhere. Pick up any tech magazine or visit almost any IT website or blog and you’ll be sure to see talk about cloud computing. The only problem is that not everyone agrees on what it is. Ask ten different professionals what cloud computing is, and you’ll get ten different answers. And is cloud computing even worth all the hype? Some people don’t think so. In fact, in 2008 Oracle CEO Larry Ellison chastised the whole issue of cloud computing, saying that the term was overused and being applied to everything in the computer world. “The computer industry is the only industry that is more fashion-driven than women’s fashion,” he said to a group of Oracle analysts. So let’s talk about what cloud computing is and tighten up our definition and understanding of this implementation.