However, there is a potential downside to cloud computing, in that it can also introduce new costs and new risks for companies using it.Ī fundamental concept behind cloud computing is that the location of the service, and many of the details such as the hardware or operating system on which it is running, are largely irrelevant to the user.
Netflix relies on cloud computing services to run its its video streaming service and its other business systems too, and have a number of other organisations.Ĭloud computing is becoming the default option for many apps: software vendors are increasingly offering their applications as services over the internet rather than standalone products as they try to switch to a subscription model. That includes consumer services like Gmail or the cloud back-up of the photos on your smartphone, though to the services which allow large enterprises to host all their data and run all of their applications in the cloud. Pretty much any service that doesn't require you to be physically close to the computer hardware that you are using can now be delivered via the cloud.Ĭloud computing underpins a vast number of services. Cloud computing services cover a vast range of options now, from the basics of storage, networking, and processing power through to natural language processing and artificial intelligence as well as standard office applications.