"Cloud computing" is a term that can mean different things to different people. In this article, we focus on the external or the public cloud (outside of your network) in contrast to the internal cloud (your own internal network). Generally speaking, external cloud computing is the offloading of IT resources to a hosting provider to avoid the necessity of having to invest in the infrastructure necessary to deliver the IT services yourself. The IT services can be delivered independent of the user's location, provided a good Internet connection is in place. Everyday examples of this can be hosted email, such as Gmail or Yahoo, and Microsoft Office Live (using Microsoft Office over the Internet).

 

So why cloud computing? Cloud computing can be leveraged to reduce overall costs and improve the delivery of IT services to an organization. The use of cloud computing can be beneficial to many businesses, but especially the small-to-medium business where sharing of resources is necessary to reduce costs while obtaining access to quality products and services. The sharing of resources over the Internet frees up capital that would otherwise be tied up in hardware and staffing required to support an underutilized internal infrastructure.

 

With cloud computing it is important to choose a partner that has a well designed network to ensure proper delivery of services via the public cloud. A well designed infrastructure by your chosen partner will deliver optimal uptime and a secure computing environment to help ensure industry regulations are being met. Your chosen partner must be a trusted partner who is financially strong and has strong client relations.

 

Infinity has offered cloud computing solutions for years now, and we have helped our clients integrate cloud computing solutions into their environments. Examples of different offerings or integration efforts we have provided to our clients include: email firewall and SPAM filtering services, email hosting, virtualized server hosting, website and e-commerce hosting, Managed IT services, and most recently, video conferencing. All of these offerings help our clients achieve their goals of being more dynamic, secure, flexible, and efficient in addressing their business needs.

 

 

Article By: Ken Nimmer

                    Excecutive Account Manager

                    Infinity Technology, Inc.