Cloud computing is a general term for computing services delivered over the Internet, as opposed to computing services hosted inside your own network; on your own premises.

These computing services can be as simple as Internet based email or as complex as a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application.

Cloud computing offers cost savings, because users don't have to invest capital budget to purchase hardware and software, nor expend the operating costs of electric power, space and cooling for the hardware and employee costs of maintaining the hardware and software.

The major differences between cloud based computing services and in-house or on-premise computing services are that cloud computing is:

1. On-demand  "use it only when you need it";
2. Elastic  "you can have as little or as much as you need".
3. Shared "your computing services are shared with other users".

The end-user often only needs a computer and a browser/thin client or mobile device and browser/mobile application to access a cloud-based application.

There are three different types of clouds:

1. Public - open to anyone to use
2. Private - hosted by a an organization for the exclusive use of by its employees, members or partners
3. Hybrid - a cloud that is part public, part private.

The above types of clouds, can be offered as:

1. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) or
2. Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) or
3. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

The following series of blog posts will dive into each category in depth as well as discuss security and privacy concerns. In addition, hands-on tutorials on how to build a private cloud will be provided.

As a user of cloud computing, you could be accessing your computer services right here....

• No Tecknolegy: 5 costs of inaction, or why cloud computing makes sense
• Disaster Recovery as a First Step into Cloud Computing
• Enterprise Architecture Key to Avoiding Cloud Computing Cloud Sprawl – AFCEA Federal Cloud Computing Environment Forum
• Cloud Computing Easily Understood - IaaS