What is the Cloud?

Cloud Computing is a commonly used, but vaguely understood term. The easiest way to understand this technology buzzword is to step back in time a few years. Photos, videos, music, documents and anything else you can think of used to be stored on a physical device, such as your computer. Now photos are viewed on Facebook, movies are watched on Netflix, and music is listened to on Spotify. But none of these are physically stored on your devices. Instead, these services are available to you from the Cloud.

It is easiest to imagine the Cloud as a giant bubble floating in the air, but if we are getting technical, the Cloud is comprised of many servers connected through the Internet. These servers are housed in large secure data centers around the world.

Why should I use the Cloud?

Many companies are adopting Cloud Computing because it offers many advantages over traditional methods. Because files are stored on the Cloud, they can be accessed from any device, anywhere and at any time. This means that a document for an important work assignment can be accessed from a mobile device like a laptop, tablet, or smart phone at home if needed.

If your computer were to crash, the Cloud has already backed up your data for safe keeping, available to you from any device. This means that your favorite photos are not lost the next time your computer crashes. Using the Cloud also frees up space on your hard drive, as music and movies, for example, are accessed through those company’s servers instead of yours.

Is the Cloud safe?

Although stories have made the news in recent years of breaches, the Cloud is a safe place to store data if caution is used with privacy settings and strong passwords used across your business.

U.S. Business Systems can provide your business with cloud based solutions that would fit your needs. For more information, contact us at (574) 264-3065 or (800) 291-2561.