Cloud computing

Cloud computing refers to 'the cloud' which is a number of computing resources, including data storage and software applications, that are offered and delivered on demand to an organisation using the internet. In cloud computing, people access their data and programs over the internet instead of accessing their own hard drive locally. This means that can can get their data from anywhere they want. E.g. google docs.

Cost effective: the cost of providing software, maintenance and upgrades for cloud computing is cheaper than buying software licences for multiple users. Cloud computing providers also offer options such as 'pay as you go'.

Unlimited storage: if an organisation is using their own hardware resources there is a limit to the storage capacity of the hard drives. In the cloud, unlimited storage capacity is available.

Software updates: the cloud provides organisations with software and automatic software updates. This removes the need for an organisation to spend time manually scheduling and installing it themselves.

Backup and recovery: the responsibility for this sits with the cloud provider and therefore there is no need to have additional storage devices available for backup files or procedures for data recovery. In the cloud, data is backed up automatically at regular intervals.

Greater accessibility to information: once signed up to a cloud provider, employees of an organisation can access their information anywhere, and from any device, as long as they have an internet connection. 

Bandwidth limitations: some cloud providers only offer a limited bandwidth allowance. If an organisation uses more than their allowance, the additional charges can be very expensive.

Potential downtime: If the cloud servers require maintenance, an organisation's information and data may not be accessible until this is completed.

Security: A cloud provider will manage hardware and software resources but they cannot guarantee that all data will be totally secure. For example, in recent times credit card companies have reported the hacking of customer databases, resulting in the theft of customer account details.

Customer support: organisations who use cloud computing require customer support services to help resolve technical issues. This can be time-consuming if the response of the cloud provider is slow. It can also be expensive as the organisation may have to pay an additional fee to ensure they receive the help required. 

By using the cloud, game producers are able to reduce their costs as they don't need to pay high street shops to sell their games. They can pass these savings to customers by reducing the price of the game. The customer who buys the computer game can download the game immediately when it becomes available, as opposed to waiting until it is released and distributed into physical shops.

With developments in hardware and software, the customer can also benefit from the cloud. Modern games are produced with higher resolution graphics which require faster and more powerful gaming hardware. Using the cloud means that gamers do not need to keep purchasing more up-to-date hardware. They have access to powerful game servers and game streaming, which can support more complex visual effects, and are able to access additional storage without the need to expand their computer's processing power and hard-drive capacity. The downside to this is if you do not have good internet you may not be able to stream the high graphics.

Since the internet is global, game producers have the advantage of access to a much larger global customer base. This could lead to increased sales resulting in higher profits. And to keep players playing they usually have software patches which brings somthing new to the game to keep people intreasted and to not get bored of the game.

One of the major impacts of cloud-based systems is the facility to store data files on very powerful high-capacity cloud servers. When users are working with their data files, automatic saving to the cloud takes place every few seconds. This reduces the chances of losing data considerably. Cloud providers also ensure that user files are stored permanently online, without the need for a local hard drive. Unless the user removes the file it will not disappear from the cloud. The cloud providers are also able recover lost files if their server(s) crash and return them to their original state. This can all take place without the user needing to understand the technical processes involved in file recovery.  

Cloud technology allows employees from an organisation to collaborate share folders and files from anywhere in the world. A user can upload fitd to the cloud and share these with other users who can then edit the files es themselves. This way of working enables employees from different parts of the world to collaborate as a team on the same project.

Collaborative working, where each user can make changes to L.es and documents stored on the cloud, means that there needs to be a process of synchronisation (or sync). This ensures that when one user makes a change to a file, this change will appear in the versions used by others.