Cloud computing is a concept that hasn’t been around for very long, but it’s becoming a more and more popular way to use computer programs by both businesses and individuals. Just like Microsoft Windows was the next stage in the evolution of computer operating systems, cloud computing is the next stage in the evolution of computer programs. Since Windows was first released, there aren’t many people who still use dos in order to navigate around their hard drives. The same will soon be true of computer programs. Since programs that can be accessed online (in the cloud) are becoming more and more popular, there will likely be fewer and fewer traditional programs in use in the future.

Computing in the cloud is so revolutional because of the way that a user can access and use the programs, and how their files are available to them on any computer that has internet access. These programs are different than traditional program because they don’t require any installation (and therefore space requirements) on the computer they are being accessed from. Instead, the program is installed on the host company’s own servers and access to the programs are granted by way of a web browser. This is much more convenient for anyone who wants to use those programs.

Another big benefit that programs in the cloud offer is the ability for many people to be working on the same thing at the same time. This is called collaboration, and is usually done on a project, document, presentation, or other similar type of file. Because of this feature, teams of people may be working on the same thing at the same time while discussing it in person, by teleconference, or even by web conference. The result is a piece of work that is completed much more quickly, with high quality, and has a side benefit of promoting teamwork as well.

There is another enormous benefit to programs that are in the cloud as well. This is that they are usually free to use – at least in part. Most of these programs are either completely free, or offer an option to use the program with certain restrictions applied for free. The programs that are of the second type also offer upgrade options to allow the user to access all of the features of the program after paying a certain one-time or recurring fee. That allows individuals to try it before they buy it, which is a great marketing tactic and drastically increases the number of people who will use the program.

The files that are created and used for these programs are somewhat different than traditional files as well. The files themselves are conceptually the same as traditional ones in that they contain data specifying settings, content, permissions, etc. But the way they are used is different. This is because in most cases, the files that are used in programs that are in the cloud, stay in the cloud. Of course, you can download them to a computer, flash drive, or other memory storage device, but the beauty of it is that you don’t have to. The files will be stored on the servers of the host company just like the programs themselves are, so they can be accessed by any computer that has internet access as well.

What all of this boils down to is convenience and cost. Programs that are in the cloud are much, much more convenient for individuals to use than are traditional programs that can only be accessed on the computers that they have been installed on. And since most of them can be used for free as well (at least a basic version of the programs), they are more cost effective as well. Even if you do pay for them, the cost is usually less than if you had to purchase the program to install on your computer. And of course since you don’t need to save and store the files either because they remain in the cloud as well, working with them is much more convenient as well.

Since people like convenience and cloud computing offers them a much more convenient way to work with programs and files, it seems that it will only be a matter of time before there are more programs in the cloud than there are traditional ones. As internet access continues to spread throughout each country and the world, more and more people will gain access to this world of software in the cloud. And as they do, they will stop purchasing traditional programs. It’s only a matter of time.