The business world was forever changed by the advent of the Internet. The dot-com bubble resulted in far too much money going into technology companies. When the bubble inevitably burst, the portfolios of investors who put their money into "tech" stocks were ruined, and the tech companies themselves failed en masse. The Internet continued to change how business was done, despite the negative aftereffects. Today, a new aspect of the Internet is changing business yet again. Cloud computing promises to take online business to the next level.
Cloud computing involves putting all of a business's electronic resources online. The business essentially outsources its own computing requirements to a third-party provider. The business's resources are all accessible online through the Internet. Cloud services can work on multiple platforms, since they are based in the Internet. Linux, Windows and Macintosh can all be used, freeing the business to make more flexible choices about hardware platforms. Cloud services can also be used on remote devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
Cloud hosting has raised some concerns about cloud security. The idea of storing all functions and information online is frightening in a world of viruses, worms and malicious hackers. These concerns about cloud hosting are certainly legitimate and worthy of consideration. Cloud security is evolving and changing along with Internet security in response to new sophisticated threats. The cloud is tempting to the business community. Internet users may one day be able to run a business from their homes without going to work.