In 2007, as “cloud computing” was working its way into the vocabulary of mainstream business, several major universities and corporations (including Google and IBM) began a large-scale cloud computing research project.  This year, major events are being hosted that address the topic and its ramifications for high-tech businesses worldwide:  GigaOm held their cloud computing-focused “Structure 08” conference last June, and this week, Microsoft’s annual Professional Developers Conference will be a forum for the announcement of Microsoft’s new cloud computing platform. 

Here are some upcoming cloud computing events:

Cloud Computing Expo   

Fairmont Hotel, San Jose, CA

IGT 2008: International Cloud Computing Conference & Exhibition

December 1-2, 2008

Israel

Cloud Computing Conference 

February 11, 2009

Metro Toronto Convention Center, Canada

Interop Las Vegas   

May 17-22, 2009

The Business Software Advisor

You ask the questions, and our resident software guru shares her wisdom.

 
This week’s question:  I’ve been hearing a lot about “cloud computing”.  What is it and what does it mean for my business?

A:  This year, Gartner estimated that, “by 2012, 80 percent of Fortune 1000 companies will pay for some cloud computing service, and 30 percent of them will pay for cloud computing infrastructure.”  Cloud computing is a term that’s being thrown around quite a bit these days and one that’s clearly important to businesses… but what is it?

 
Cloud computing, according to Wikipedia, is “Internet-based development and use of computer technology.”  The idea of a cloud comes from the shape typically used in computer network diagrams and represents the idea of an abstraction concealing the complex infrastructure underneath: in simple terms, the “cloud”, in today’s terms, means the Internet, by which data is transferred. Read more »