Junk my Car Blog

Maybe it's because I grew up during the tech age, where improvements to technology happened so fast the computer you bought yesterday became obsolete today. Whenever I get an opportunity to learn about technological improvements I always jump in. This is true in every aspect of my life and even more so here at Junk my Car; where being on the cutting edge of technology is not only strongly encouraged, but necessary.

Recently I was introduced to the concept of "Cloud Computing". It's not that I had never used this technology before; I just hadn't understood the term. Growing out of research in grid computing, cloud computing transforms once expensive resources into a readily available, cheap, and in many cases, free alternative. The cloud is a term for networked computers that distribute processing power among many machines. Now instead of needing localized software, you can use web based software. Anywhere there is a computer with internet access, your information is readily available.

Of course, as with all things, there seems to be proponents on either side of the spectrum as to the benefits and downfalls of such technology. Some believe that Cloud Computing would force users to sacrifice their privacy and personal data to a third party. Others tend to speculate that this the wave of the future. While I understand the concerns of the former, entrusting your work and data to the a 3rd party is a commitment of trust to each service provider where private data will continue to be available forever, I still tend to lean towards the later. This type of technology is the beginning of a new generation of mobility and true virtual working.

The greatest part? The benefits of Cloud Computing are not just for "work". Products like Indaba (http://www.indabamusic.com/) allow musicians to create music with like minded artists from all over the world with online recording sessions. Because it resides on "the network", it makes it easy to share documents, collaboratively edit, and effectively manage new versions of data. Google Docs ring a bell? (https://www.google.com/docs) No longer are we confined to buy the latest software only to upgrade and patch it over and over, not even mentioning all the license fees and compatibility issues with the latest operating system. No longer do we have to concern ourselves that our files are on our office computer and we can't access it without physically being there. I can log in from anywhere and be able to be work effectively. The benefits don't end there though, a greener solution comes into play. Without boxes to ship, and software to store, users don't have to worry about all that cardboard and plastic being wasted.

Without question the buzz word of the day is Cloud Computing. Where we end up from here is beyond my understanding, but with companies like Google working on a new operating system dedicated to this type of powerful, cheap alternative, I know the sky is the limit.

Bob Marino

* Photo Created by Sam Johnston using OminGroup's OmniGraffle and Inkscape (includes Computer.svg by Sasa Stefanovic). Used under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 License

Labels: Cloud Computing, Google, Indaba, Junk my Car