Cloud Computing and Web 20 - Research Paper Example

? CLOUD COMPUTING AND WEB 2.0 goes here] [Your goes here] [Due the paper] Cloud Computing and Web 2.0 Cloud Computing Cloud computing is an internet-based technology that helps individuals and businesses access a wide range of IT applications through internet on any computer system. Using cloud computing, users do not need to install the desired software applications in their computer systems because they can access them through the cloud. As Schauland (2011) states, “surfacing in late 2007, cloud computing is used to allow services used in everyday practice to be moved onto the Internet rather than stored on a local computer”. Cloud computing has a number of business uses, such as, website hosting, project management, cloud-based accounting and billing, and document storage. Technology Required To Use Cloud Computing The only requirements for an individual or a business to access the services of cloud computing include a computer system, an internet connection, and an agreement with the cloud services providing company. “As long as a computer has Internet access it will be able to use the application” (Cheow, 2010). Business Uses of Cloud Computing For businesses, cloud computing provides a number of benefits some of which include ease in data storage, workload shift, improved organization of business processes, cloud-based project management, and improved customer service. Companies can store their important files, such as, Microsoft word files, spreadsheets, and audio files on the cloud through internet and can access them whenever required. Companies can also enjoy website hosting through cloud computing using this facility, companies do not need to buy any physical server for the hosting of their websites, rather they can make use of cloud hosting where they can increase or decrease the bandwidth as per business needs. Cloud-based project management is another business use of cloud computing. In such projects, where employees frequently need to upload their files after editing, use of cloud services is an added facility for companies. As compared to the businesses that do not make use of cloud computing, the users of cloud services do not have to worry about the hardware and software failure issues. Usually business professionals need to install, configure, test, and run all hardware and software products on their own. Cloud computing eliminates such problems for clients because the providers of cloud services are responsible for managing all technical issues. Another benefit of cloud computing for businesses is that of workload shift. Using cloud-computing services, employees do not have to worry about applications’ management because the service providers take responsibility of many of the business processes related to sales and service management. As Strickland (n.d.) states, “local computers no longer have to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to running applications”. For businesses, some of the main benefits of using cloud computing services include ease of integration with proprietary systems, low capital investment, user friendly interface of software applications, and improved data management. If we talk about the expense of using cloud services, we can say that cloud computing cuts down many of the expenses for small businesses. The only expense is the monthly bill which client organizations need to pay to the service providers. However, there is no expense related to design and management of software applications because service providers bear all such expenses. Limitations of Using Cloud Computing Along with a number of benefits for businesses related to cloud computing, there also exist some limitations of using cloud-computing services. Some of those limitations include lack of security customization, less application visibility for clients, and loss of control due to increased dependency. However, privacy is the biggest concern for the users because sending of private data to the cloud does not seem to be safe. In addition, increased dependency on cloud computing also raises a concern regarding the use of such services. Web 2.0 Web 2.0 refers to the advanced use of internet technology and other internet related applications, such as, RSS, blogs, Adobe Flex, and social networking. Web 2.0 promotes greater collaboration business and users of internet related technologies (Rouse, 2011). Some of the main characteristics observed in web 2.0 include social bookmarking, blogging, enhanced interaction between users and internet, improved data management, RSS syndication, and advanced gaming. The three main parts of web 2.0 include web-oriented architecture, rich internet application, and social web. The main difference between web 1.0 and web 2.0 technologies is that with web 1.0, users can only post or download the content from internet web sites, whereas with web 2.0, users can make show real-time control of the web content. Technology Required To Use Web 2.0 The technologies needed to use web 2.0 include a JavaScript enabled computer system and the internet. Businesses Uses of Web 2.0 Web 2.0 helps companies improve their businesses by getting user feedbacks and improving customer-company interaction. Some other benefits of web 2.0 for businesses include improved marketing processes and faster access to knowledge. Today, almost every traditional and online company makes use of web 2.0 technologies to improve their business processes and productivity. Web 2.0 technologies also improve interactions between employees, customers, and business partners making the business environment more competitive and informative. “Web 2.0 technology can fundamentally change business processes by delivering productivity gains and making user feedback an integral part of development processes” (Knights, 2007). For larger corporations, the use of web 2.0 technologies is even more productive because such companies a large amount of data to manage and web 2.0 helps them in integrating across multiple sets of applications. However, the security level of web 2.0 is still a concern for businesses because traditional server-based software applications offer more security as compared to web 2.0-driven applications. Limitations of Using Web 2.0 Although web 2.0 improves the level of interaction between users and internet, but there also exist some concerns or limitations regarding this technology. For example, critics of this technology say that web 2.0 affects the credibility and genuineness of the web content as every person can modify the online content without any logic behind that. Critics also say that web 2.0 is against the ethics of web content as it provides the right of adding or modifying the genuine web content. References Cheow, C. (2010). All About Cloud Computing. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?All-About-Cloud-Computing&id=3992771 Knights, M. (2007). Using Web 2.0 for business. Retrieved from http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240082941/Using-Web-20-for-business Rouse, M. (2011). Web 2.0 (or Web 2). Retrieved from http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Web-20-or-Web-2 Schauland, D. (2011). What is Cloud Computing?. Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-cloud-computing.htm Strickland, J. (n.d.). How Cloud Computing Works. Retrieved from http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing/cloud-computing.htm Read More