An alternative to the common ‘cloud’ diagram is the above 5-point platform, showing how your business is connected to the main server. You are the client. The application is the kind of software you use to gain access to the platform – somewhat like using Facebook or Twitter to gain access to the main Facebook or Twitter site, which acts as the platform.

However, behind the scenes the controllers of Facebook or Twitter (men in dark suits in shady underground bunkers) operate what is known as the “infrastructure.” This is most likely what your business is lacking in gaining access to the cloud. This is where IT cloud specialists can help – they would do an initial assessment of your company’s needs, part of which is to assess where you host the infrastructure. Your main computer systems will either be hosted ‘on-premise’ (within your business, and thereby carrying associated costs) or otherwise partly – and this is the movement of the future – off-site, where everyone can do business together. The idea of the cloud is to get EVERYONE doing more business together off-site, with real time access to the internet.

The server is merely the central point of location in the cloud – run by Amazon, Google or Microsoft – but in order to gain access to the server, you need to clarify the kind of infrastructure you’re using. An IT company can make this transition smoother – and also work backwards from this infrastructure connection, to the platform you use, and the various applications your business requires – so you can do more business, more often, and more effectively.

Hence, cloud computing clients don’t usually own the physical infrastructure. Instead, they avoid capital expenditure by renting from a third-party provider. The business model is analogous to how electricity is provided, employing a utility computing model, while others charge on a subscription basis. Basically, everyone wins in this dynamic – the providers get more traffic (saving on hours when computers are idle) and the client gets a cheaper way of access to ‘the business cloud,’ without maintaining its own infrastructure, such as hardware servers, storage, etc.

For more information about how to integrate your business in the cloud, please contact Nimbo at info@Nimbo.com or visit their website at www.Nimbo.com.

- Ira Bell