The BPOS Commander is a great tool which helps IT managers for easier and better migration to Microsoft Online. It also provides a good solution to the challenges faced by these IT managers once they switch to BPOS. It provides good control of their cloud, right from planning to execution and implementation of Exchange Online and SharePoint migrations with full control. It makes the task of administration very simple. And the biggest service offered here is that the tool is available free of cost to all the customers who choose BPOS Experts as their partner.

BPOS Commander has great features that help organizations to :

• Set up their cloud.
• Helps with pre-migration analysis.
• Quick creation of user accounts using Microsoft Online.
• Migrate Exchange on-site or currently used  mailboxes to Exchange Online
• Keep on constantly updating, adding and managing users, content, and subscriptions on the Microsoft cloud.
• Performs a fast search and displays the result in user friendly manner.
• Generates reports to keep track of all the subscriptions and capacity usage.

With the fast changing technology and security trends, delivering an easy to use, secure and highly efficient messaging system is quite challenging. The rules, regulations and the quality adherence standards are being set to a new high by the industry. With these the mergers and acquisitions going on, give a challenging task to the businesses to adapt easily to the new service capacity.

Microsoft Exchange Online comes to the rescue here. It provides an excellent and reliable platform for email management and collaboration. It has the additional features of managing the contact lists and also helps in setting up calendars for personal use as well as for the team. It’s a very cost effective tool that is more beneficial to small business setups as they get the privilege of having all the features of being used only by the bigger corporate houses at a reasonable rate. It reduces the maintenance cost and overhead of having a separate email server. The antivirus and the spam filter modules come embedded with the tool. It does not have any backup and continuity problem.

Some of the important features are highlighted below:
Huge Capacity Mailbox –  25 GB !
Say good bye to the long time small limit of 2 GB. Microsoft Exchange Online comes with a grand 25 GB capacity mailbox.

Microsoft Exchange Online
Round the Clock Web Access, 100% Productivity 24 x 7 – It has a very good impact on the business productivity levels. You can count on your productivity even while travelling, even without a PC with you.

Scheduling and Task Management
Microsoft Exchange Online provides a cool tool to the management for easier assignment of tasks to the team. It also helps with timely monitoring of the tasks assigned. The tasks and their respective status can be reviewed without arranging a review meeting, thereby saving time. Automatic schedule of meetings and easy calendaring are additional provided.

Whereas there is an almost universal recognition of computing as a development tool, there is some reluctance to undertake the activities that will make this dream a reality. One can lay the blame at the feet of government incompetence but there ought to be an element of personal responsibility in all this.

The first major issue that affects the level of computing in developing countries is the lack of infrastructure. There is a lack of transportation facilities to ensure that computers can get to the people in the rural areas. I take a recent example of a scheme to transport second hand computers from Europe to Africa.

The scheme took off but there were not enough transporters willing to deliver the computers to their intended recipients. Consequently the surplus computers had to go through either recycling or destruction. From this example you can see how a scheme to extend computing to some of the poorest people in the world fell flat on its face due to the lack of adequate infrastructure.

More issues that affect the growth of computing
The infrastructural problems that hinder the development and evolution of computing do not just end at the transportation. They can also be applied to the usage of the computer equipment. Some developing countries do not have the computers that are needed to get the technology to the common man. They also lack the essential facilities such as internet access which can increase the literacy of the people within local communities. I have an example of someone who wanted to do an online course but was frustrated because the bandwidth for their area was just not strong enough to sustain the course software.

It might seem rather churlish to be speaking of such things but there still remains an element of ignorance when it comes to computing. This is not willful ignorance but a lack of awareness because no one has made the effort to ensure that people in isolated communities can understand the implications of computing and softwares applications for the modern world that they will have to live in.

It might be shocking to some ears but the fact is that there are children in the developing world who do not know what a computer is and will probably never know what a computer is. It seems such a shame that an important piece of technology is kept away from a significant part of the world population.

Over here, I would say that it is imperative that computing should becomes a development goal for all countries that find themselves on the wrong side of the international poverty line. This means that every effort must be made to ensure that computer access is available to all people no matter what their social background is.

In this article we will be examining some of the issues that might arise if you chose computing as subject at secondary school or primary school level. We will also be examining the impact of such a decision on the career paths of young students.

Computing as a subject falls within the sciences but it might not require the laboratory practical facilities that you would need for a subject such as chemistry. However it has its own requirements such as computer or laptop and internet access. The headmaster of the school will also need to make a decision whether they invite a full time computer teacher or train existing teachers to take on the role. It is important however that headmasters ensure that computers or laptops in schools are well protected from viruses and spyware. With an ever increasing presence of online threats, schools need to safeguard against these risks to minimize damage and downtime.

Given the fact that computer literacy has become as commonplace as making tea, it makes sense that you will want to use people who already operate with a computer. This saves costs and ensures that you are building the computer skills of all teachers.

Gaining the resource base for computing projects
The computer facilities can be expensive for a school establishment especially if there are other priorities that continue to take precedence. It requires some level of lateral thinking to be able to overcome this challenge to building a computing knowledge base. Initially you might want to consider cost savings from other parts of the budget so that they can be transferred into improving the uptake of computing as a subject. The investment is worth it if you consider the improved career prospects of the students who will be able to take up computing as a subject.

It must also be remembered that the development of computer skills has recently become a serious government priority. This means that if a specific bid is placed before the secretary of state it will be given better consideration. There are even existing government grants that are meant to foster the intellectual development of computing skills within the community. All that is requires are to submitting a valid application. Sometimes the opportunities for developing computing skills are staring at us in the face and all we need to do is gather some application so that we can use them.

In conclusion I would say that computing has the propensity to become a very popular subject in school. It is both a practical and theoretical subject that can greatly increase the employment prospects of the people who take up the subject. All that is required is the application that one would expect of someone who would like to improve the computer literacy within their chosen community.

Biased media only report what they would like us to hear depending on who runs which empire. The irksome tabloid who is literally running the age-old main stream print media is probably a prime example of how people are not receiving actual news but the political prejudices of media magnates.

These are serious matters because they can affect the response of the local community to both the conflict and the attempts to diffuse the conflict. Everyone knows about the Middle East conflict. Opinion has been sharply divided and you can be convinced either way depending on which television channel that you watch.

Having been fed full of propaganda and lies, it them becomes our responsibility to transfer our decisions into votes.  That is why one of the greatest nations on earth voted one of the thickest presidents ever who caused untold damage to the world. It is only recently that we are trying to get relief from some of his disastrous policies.

The impact of information technology on the political process
Imagine if computing allowed the voters to check information for them, to see what is happening on the ground and to make a final judgment for themselves. We would then be free of the shameless politicking and manipulation that occurs before an election.

At least people will be making independent electoral decisions that depend on their ability to examine information. This would be a welcome relief from some of the laughable results that we are getting in elections when every two bit politician can lay his or her way into high office.

Computing could have a transformative effect on the way that we deal with politics. Our politics at the moment is received rather than created. The ordinary person is removed from the political process and globalization has only served to emphasize this reality.

The decisions that you make in voting for your local councilor will mean absolutely nothing if the commissioner at the European Union can overturn any decision at the stroke of a hand. Without the shining influence of modern technology such as computing, political power will continue to drain away from the public into the seasoned politicians’ hands.

Some people may argue that it is superfluous for a simple piece of equipment such as a personal computer to have such wide ranging influence. I would disagree with them on the basis that the computer is not about the size that it carries but the influence that it can garner.

Imagine if we were allowed to make up our own minds about the Middle East and consequently vote accordingly, perhaps the invasion of foreign countries would no longer be an issue. I always believe that computing empowers people and once people are empowered, they take ownership of the political process. That is probably what the Greeks were thinking about when they introduced democracy centuries ago.

We are then told that some culture cannot accept freedom of speech because it can cause dangerous divisions among the community. Some national leaders have gone as far as saying that their people are too stupid to enjoy freedom of expression and therefore they must be censored. I could write a whole essay about the fallacy of such a claim.

Recently I was listening to a rather silly member of parliament talking about “moral patriotism” in reference to an impoverished African country that was on the verge of enacting some of the most barbaric laws that we have seen in recent times. I did chuckle because the internet will surely dispel the idiocy that is being spouted by such mean spirited people. The internet knows no color or creed. It is about sharing ideas. When people are oppressed, they find it easier to accept that oppression if their governments can convince them that their situation is the best that they can ever have.

The role of modern technology
Computing opens the eyes of those who have been blinded by the narrow dimensions of their limited existence. It allows for people to explore ideas and discuss their impact on their lives. It allows for people to share values and query things that have been fed to them as gospel truth. It is therefore not surprising that some of the most conservative people in the world are the least educated people in the world. Likewise some of the most oppressed people in the world will be those who lack access to computing and the opportunities that it offers.

The greatest threat to the growth and development of computing in the world is the censorship that is expected as a matter of course. Immoral governments try to maintain their grip on power through a series of manipulative intrigues including deception and misinformation.

The gullible and vulnerable will them fall for these scams and end up giving up their valuable human rights. Without censorship, the growth of the computing industry will be enormous. This has enormous implication as to how people see human rights and their willingness to struggle for them.

One of the challenges for the human rights agitators has been the difficulty of trying to identify a global standard for human rights. This allows for localization of human rights abuses that give the justification as the individual needs of a nation. When we hear a ludicrous politician talking about moral patriotism in one of the most corrupt countries ever, you begin to wonder whether there is anyone in those places who cares about human rights. Politicians can lie with impunity and the only rebuttal systems will be the ones that use computing as a tool. Therefore in order to win the battle of human rights, campaigners have to first implement wide spread usage of the computer.

Now they have to think about management information and will have to ensure that they are entering certain details onto the database to enable senior managers to run their monthly reports. For some doctors this is an unacceptable transformation of their old jobs and some decide that the best course would be to change career. Whilst doctors are in demand, most careers and job search engine offers require applicants from all backgrounds and professions to be proficient with the use of computers. The medical profession particularly has developed in a way that the use of computing has become essential.

However to change career because you fear a machine is just irresponsible. The computer is just part of the modern age and not one, including the medical profession, can ignore it. Doctors will continuously have their skills upgraded and tested to ensure that they meet with the demands of modern life. Computing will be one of the key areas that they need to address. In this new climate of e-government, a doctor can no longer rely on the relative safety of their old practice.

Getting with the medical program
Computers have penetrated the medical profession particularly where administration is concerned. These days’ doctors are expected to do a lot of their administrative work. If this was to be done manually, there would be very limited time for actual clinical time.

Therefore it was decided that the profession could benefit from a technology update that specifically addressed the issues of speed and accuracy. That means that we would have electronic prescriptions and monthly updates by phone.  People may complain that it is impersonal but I believe that it is certainly efficient.

The case of the United States of America is interesting. One of the things that Barack Obama has promised to address is the excessive bureaucracy that we see being practiced across various sectors of the American health care system.

One of the telling solutions that have been proposed is the use of computing to reduce costs. Apparently when a patient transfers from one health facility to another, a lot of resources are wasted on paperwork. It is therefore anticipated that if they move to a paperless system, there will be less scope for bureaucracy to take a hold.

Now if you are a doctor in the United States of America and you fail to take advantage of the training in computing, you will almost certainly be left behind when the new changes come into play. Your bosses might even begin to have second thoughts as to whether you are the type of employee that they need in a modernizing organization if you are not willing to make any compromises to new technology.

That is why people begin to wonder why they are being laid off when really one of the problems that they have is inflexibility in their approach to work and new technology. Embracing technology is not too difficult but the rewards can be great thus I would heartily advise anyone in the medical profession to take all opportunities to improve their computing skills.

The merits will affect each organization in a unique way so it is not desirable to have a homogenous analysis. The framework within which we have to analyze cloud computing has to bear witness to the fact that it is a valuable resource that is open to varied use by different organizations.

Key characteristics and their advantages
The inter connectivity of computer servers is the first element of that characterizes cloud computing. This characteristic can enable the organization to carry out a variety of tasks in different locations. If there are issues with download capacity or virtual memory, then it allows for the specialization of different servers so that you can split the burden of the information technology activities. This is what good band width management is about.

Therefore cloud computing can facilitate the proper management of information technology resources within the organization. This characteristic is also crucial to the multi-tasking demands that are made on modern business. In order to deal with a tough market, there is an increase in the diversification of the activities that different companies undertake. This can place enormous pressure on the information systems.

Once you install a good cloud computing system then you will be in a position to carry out all your functionality in a simultaneous context. In fact it is far easier to supervise these simultaneous activities under the cloud computing system because you can install a central command unit.

The second characteristic of the cloud computing innovation is that it allows for the outsourcing of a key element of the company’s work portfolio. Just like the call centers have decided to relocate to cheaper environments, you can significantly reduce your IT budget by implementing a cloud computing project. There are costs associated with this move in terms of staff supervision but overall you will be able to make savings.

Maintaining an in house information technology team will require its own budgetary resources. At the same time you will be facing market pressures to reduce the prices that your customers pay. If you are to reconcile these two pressures then you have to rely on tools such as cloud computing. It enables you to continue reaping the benefits of a first class network management service, yet avoiding the obvious challenges that occur when you are managing that system yourself.

The other problems such as supervision can be handled through the normal contractual arrangements so that they do not take away value from the advantages that have accrued. Organizations that are sensitive to their information technology costs have no alternative but to consider cloud computing mechanisms.

However I still believe that if you have the basic knowledge of the things that are supposed to be delivered by cloud computing, then you will be in a very good position to manage the project effectively. As we all know effectiveness is the key element of information technology and once you lose that, you might as well do the processes manually.

The key characteristics
Initially it is important to recognize that cloud computing is expected to bring in a higher level of automation than the ordinary systems of communication between the various sections of an organization. This means that if you find that a lot of your time is spent doing manual trouble shooting or dealing with configuration, then the deal is just not worth it. I have been involved with organizations that have outsourced their information technology under the cloud computing scheme but have ended up with more work than ever before. Clearly this indicates that they made the wrong decision in choosing to go with cloud computing.

The second element that you should look out for when you implement a cloud computing initiative is that there should be a level of virtualization of the processes. That means that the activities should be online. If you find yourself in the position whereby you have to carry out the activities in the local vicinity then you have to recognize that your cloud computing initiative has failed.

The company to which you outsource the functionality must be able to deliver a seamless service via the internet or else you have to review the contract. If they do not have the capacity to do this effectively you might bring forward a suggestion for sharing costs and profits.

Added to this requirement is the essential need to have interred communication with your own in house systems. Make sure that at the very beginning of the relationship these issues are tested and clarified.

A good cloud computing package must only charge you for the services that you use. This is a fundamental advantage of cloud computing and if the other party cannot deliver then you really need to consider canceling the contract. You might find that some providers want you to have a standing charge that covers their fixed costs.

This might be acceptable if they are providing a particularly excellent service but you must insist that there is also an element of variability in the prices depending on how much you engage the service. If it appears that on a long term basis you will not be able to support the contract due to small usage, then you can consider downscaling the operation.

This all indicative of the kinds of abilities that you have as a young person to acquire skills. It is not just about having innate abilities to do with age. That would be an ageist attitude to take. It is also about responsibilities and the time to do the work that is needed to develop adequate computing skills.

Having IT skills from a young age is becoming increasingly integral to the career successes of today’s youth, and allows them to do anything from compose essays with word processors to using their internet skills to gain online degrees and engage in constructive academic pursuits with colleagues across the globe. It goes without saying that reading, writing and math are basic skills that are by far the most important, but it seems viable in this day and age that we should teach our children to use a keyboard the same way we teach them to use a pen.

I know that many education systems where atrocious in the nineteen sixties and fifties because they did not emphasize the role of modern technology. However these days there is really little excuse. Even children in the most underdevelopment countries have some for m of access to computers if they really try. I think that it is always best to take advantage of these opportunities when they arise because when you grow older there might be issues that prevent you from building your skills in this area.

The challenges of learning late
A much neglected complaint is one about the shame of not knowing something. When we are young we learn new things every day and there is no reason or room to start worrying about whether we are ignorant. The reality is that most young people are ignorant about the life experiences that they will have to deal with when they grow up. For example a primary school child will have no problem in attending a beginner’s computer class whereas a pension might think twice about humiliating themselves in this way.

Whereas grown up people have more resources and can pay for computing resources, the reality is that they have many responsibilities that take away any time that they might have earmarked for learning about computing. The prime example is that of a single parent who has plenty of housework to deal with let alone the rigors of pursuing further education. This means that although they may be able to afford the computer course, they will be reluctant to join it because of other pressing commitments.

Even within a work environment, it is far easier to attend computer courses if you are a junior employee without much responsibility. However if you are a manager entrusted with the duty to ensure that there is no crisis in the department, you will be under constant pressure to deliver those objectives. I am afraid that much desired computer course will have to take a secondary role in the things that you do.

That is the nature of responsibility and the consequences of growing up. You can no longer take the time available for granted and have to plan your activities very carefully in order to fulfill your schedule. It is from that point of view that I believe that it is far better to learn about computing when you are still relatively young.

However there is a distinction and it might be important to grasp this distinction. In this article I will attempt to describe some of the crucial differences between these two concepts, trying to explain what are cloud computing and hosting in layman terms. I am sure that there are many technological wizards who will be dying to correct me about these differences but I would respond to the effect that this is the beginning rather that the end. It is not possible to fully exhaust these differences within the confines of a short article.

What is the contrast?
In its simplest forms, web hosting is the facility that is provided for different organizations of individuals whereby their website can anchor on a certain server so that it is available on the internet. This situation arises because the resources that are required to host a website on the internet are often not available to individual users or small businesses webhosting needs. Rather than wasting resources setting up a server, it is advisable to contact a web hosting company.

The advantages of using a web hosting company are that it will be managing a large number of websites so that it can pass on economies of scale depending on the size of the firm. If you insist on going for it on your own, then you will not have the capacity to use all the bandwidth that is available to you yet you will have to pay the full cost.

You tend to find that it is either individual users or small companies that hire out webhosting because it is too expensive to do it on their own. However large companies will have such volumes of traffic that it will make sense to organize this service on an in house basis.

Cloud computing on the other hand is concerned with the movement of a whole section of server management to a remote location with another company. Whereas you will be doing your own management within the context of a webhosting arrangement, it is expected that that you will have to give up some of your control under the cloud computing arrangement. For example a large company in Hawaii would outsource their technological management systems to another contractor in India for cost concern, while maintaining high quality standard, which is also covering the areas of reliability and performance benchmark.

For the most part the company in the USA will expect to use a seamless service without much input from its own members of staff. In fact if they are being requested to get involved in the server maintenance and management, then the cloud computing deal will be nothing more than a sham. They have to expect that the information technology will be managed externally. This contrasts rather sharply with the arrangements under a simple webhosting agreement.

That is what always happens with new techniques. You start practicing them before you can put a name to them. I have therefore decided to give a brief overview in the simplest terms that I can muster at the moment. Hopefully this will tickle the memory for many readers and they will know what I am talking about as I delve further into the cloud computing revolutionary world.

I cannot really see a major difference between cloud hosting and cloud computing apart from the stages at which the information occurs ( at least at this moment ). It is quite common for the two terms to be used interchangeably and if I spoke to a lay person, they would not be too bothered about the distinction. Essentially cloud hosting is the process of providing computer servers on a remote location to a variety of clients. Cloud computing in the strictest definitions involves the use of those servers to process normal business information. There can be another minor difference in as much as cloud computing can be done locally within the systems of the organization in question.

How it affects you
You may actually be working under a cloud hosting or cloud computing environment but you will not be aware of the existence of such a mechanism unless you read about it. The first sign that you are operating the system will come when you have to ring to a remote location to deal with a server problem.

I suppose that one of the signs of an effective cloud hosts or cloud computing system will be that the users will not be able to tell the difference between it and other computing systems. However you the employee should take an interest in what is happening because it could have serious implications of your job security.

There is a lot of information about cloud computing and cloud hosting on the internet. Unlike most topics that I have researched, the results for this tend to be quite accurate. In fact you will find that the information contains both the advantages and disadvantages of the system. This is true even where the website indicates that it will be providing this kind of service. You would have thought that ordinarily there would be a reluctance to discuss some of the negative aspects of the two systems. Therefore if you really want to learn about cloud computing or cloud hosting, then the internet can act as a very good source of information.

For those interested in further research there are new developments in the industry which indicate that individual users may be able to access the cloud computing facilities that have traditionally catered for business. Therefore you should not be discouraged from approaching hosting companies such as Rack Space.

If you were a business that was considering whether to join the cloud computing bandwagon or not, this would be a tester of what could be. I have borrowed some of the ideas that have been exhorted in the various articles about cloud computing and have come up with a tentative list of the things that would benefit a company upon the implementation of a cloud computing system.

Obviously there is a recognition that each company will benefit slightly differently depending on their idiosyncratic process but generally these points go across the spectrum of business activity.

The business need for cloud computing

1. Cloud computing will release members of staff from the burdens to attempting to grapple with the information technology systems. This responsibility can be passed on to an external organization under a cloud computing arrangement. This means that the organization will be able to focus attention on the core business activities that it has set for itself.
2. The cost element of the cloud computing project should never be underestimated. In house computer technology systems can be quite expensive in terms of time and resources. With cloud computing some of the inefficiencies such as idle time are eliminated.
3. The implementation of a cloud computing project will allow the organization to use its employees in very imaginative was because they are able to access IT software packages from remote locations. This is about improving flexibility in work practice.
4. Without the challenges of licenses and equipment, cloud computing means that you can implement most projects easily. Efforts can then be directed to ensuring the smooth operation of those projects rather than wasting valuable time on lengthy implementation.
5. The security that comes with remote access systems within the cloud computing package ensures that you can share data for business purposes without too much worry. This is one of the facilitation advantages of the system.
6. For those organizations which are struggling with the creation of a viable storage and backup facility, cloud computing can increase the capacity in an instant. This increases the range of activities that the organization can carry out.
7. There is much more allowance for the effective allocation of company resources under the cloud computing arrangements. The outsourcing of a key business task such as information technology allows this to happen.
8. Because of the fact of outsourced information technology, there is less environmental impact from the local hardware outfits. This is a global as well as local benefit of cloud computing.
9. The businesses can customize the cloud computing models to fit their ambitions and general brand image. This is the great value that the scheme can add to the appropriateness of technology to the business activities that an organization specializes in.
10. Collaborative working methods are enhanced by the presence of cloud computing. Therefore the work initiatives of the business can be easily realized.

For an organization to make an effective decision about whether to implement cloud computing, they will need to have a vast array of information resources that point them towards a balanced view of the technology.

If a picture that is too rosy is painted, then it is likely that the organization will not be ready for some of the problems when they arise. This article aims to balance those two sides so that company executives can make an informed decision.

The possible benefits of cloud computing
Cloud computing can enable the constant flow of information between the outsourced service and the outsourcing service. Other remote systems would struggle with such a task because they are based on database communications that are largely outdated. The ease with which the information can be accessed gives confidence to the employees of the outsourcing organization that they can continue with their normal work despite the introduction of cloud computing.

Because cloud computing relies on satellite facilities for the administration of information technology, the need for a physical address is transferred to another company. This means that the location manager has more flexibility in terms of the allocation of office space. This can add great physical resources to the business plan and if you work in a premium location, cloud computing would be your best option.

The pay as you go model of cloud computing adds considerable savings potential to the company’s portfolio. One of the issues that concerns managers is the impact of idle time on the overall cost of information technology. If you are using an external entity for the management of the IT portfolio, then you can write an agreement that will only charge you for when you use the IT facilities.

The possible disadvantages of cloud computing
The main problems with cloud computing are related to the loss of control to another party. This can lead to supervision problems and conflict within the information technology departments. You will have to set up new systems for dealing with this conflict and you will have to configure your communication systems on the basis that there is another company involved in your business. Sometimes cloud computing will have so many teething problems that it might take years before you settle into an agreement with your supplier whereby conflicts can be resolved before they escalate.

Industries that deal with sensitive data will be worried about security when it comes to cloud computing. The fact that the server is located in a remote area means that you have to delegate the security arrangements to someone else. Now imagine that you work in a passport office and you have to locate your service in a foreign country. Suppose war breaks out between the two countries? These are some of the serious challenges to cloud computing.

This is the wrong perception that has held up many businesses from achieving their full potential in the modern business world.  It is the responsibility of the managing director to search out all these innovations and ensure that the company is at the forefront of cloud computing. After all that is one of the key tasks for the senior executive.

The connectivity and inter business trends that characterize cloud computing are crucial to the development of a modern economy. The company that outsources information technology will be receiving a valuable service as well as reducing its own costs. These costs can then be re directed to other projects or passed on to the consumer as reduced prices.

For the company that is undertaking the cloud computing management, they have effectively received a new revenue stream that will keep people in employment for a long time. In terms of macro economics, the use of cloud computing enables vast areas of the economy to access computing services and this can indicate an overall technological advancement that is always desirable.

Everyone gets a look in
When I look at the achievements that Google Apps has made, it appears to me quite obvious why we should always look at cloud computing as a means for sharing prosperity among different organizations. Previously companies had to buy and install software on each individual computer. Licenses had to be obtained for each copy of the software that they were using and each time they bought a new computer the process would begin again.

As you can imagine became quite tedious and caused friction between the information technology departments and other parts of the organizations. With the advent of cloud computing, many of these companies can access the same software using Google Apps at a fraction of the cost and with much less inconvenience.

The popularity of cloud computing has not gone unnoticed. Many organizations that would previously ignore the phenomenon are now joining the bandwagon and making huge profits from the venture.

Most hosting companies including Rackspace and Amazon will now agree to a cloud computing arrangement upon request. What is even more encouraging is the fact that the pricing structures have been amended to allow for the introduction of cloud computing to the private market. This means that eventually even individual users of the internet will be able to order and use cloud computing.

There has to be a loser in any successful project and cloud computing is no exception. I have already identified the old software companies as potential losers in this arrangement. The domestic IT departments may also find that they have to fight off cloud computing if they are to retain their old jobs. Whereas I have some sympathy, I believe that cloud computing had added a great dimension to information technology and should be allowed to prosper.

The modern business model is brutal because it deals with inefficiency by driving the culprit out of the market. If you are happy to spend billions on an in house information technology system, you competitors will outsource and outrank you in the stakes for dominating the industry that you are operating in.

Market forces rely on the customer and the decisions they make to punish those who fail to comply with the modern rules of business. If you have very high information technology costs, the next stage will be identifying the places where you get the funds to meet these costs. Unless you are particularly lucrative charity, these costs will have to be passed on to the consumers by way of high prices. You can only charge high prices if you dominate the market because otherwise your competitors will out price you. Rather than lose your business it is far better to join the cloud computing revolution and see how it goes.

Taking the first tentative steps
Where businesses are reluctant to go full swing into the cloud computing revolution, they might decide to choose from a variety of options to ensure that they first get a taste of the new technology before they fully commit. This is a wise move because it allows the company to deal with any glitches and communication problems before the cloud computing projects have firmly embedded within the operations. I always advocate for the experimental approach because it reduces the risk of full scale losses and bottleneck issues.

The choice is really yours in terms of the services that you can implement. You might go for the Infrastructure model such as the one undertaken by the top selling website called Amazon. In this model the outsourced services consist of infrastructural devices that enable the control of your computer operations from a remote location.

This option is quite useful if you do not have the resources or the capacity to provide your own in house infrastructure. That way you could access the services without dealing with some of the challenges that come about when you are building infrastructure for cloud computing.

Some organizations have decided that the best option is to look for the cloud computing provider that specializes in platform.  The platform allows you to carry out all the functionality that you would have done under the cloud computing system but then it gives you leeway in terms of undertaking the other activities. This option is excellent for those organizations which have the technical skills but require a platform to operate their cloud computing schemes. Google Apps is a prime example of this type of application service. This type of provision can be complemented by software services that give you the technological capacity to complete your business transactions.

When an organization decides to implement cloud computing, they remove the local staff involvement in the information technology systems. If you are going to get rid of the influence of your staff, you need to ensure that the software applications that you are going to use are virtually infallible or close to it. This is why there is such importance placed on the application development for cloud computing.

The application development should follow the same principles that are used when you are managing other IT projects. For example there has to be extensive consultation with the business units which will be most affected by the implementation of cloud computing. The consultation process not only gets ideas from those members of staff but also ensures that employee resistance to change is calmed down as you try to implement a coherent cloud computing mechanism.

You will need to undertake extensive planning to ensure that you have contingency plans for all the glitches that are likely to hit your project as you go along. Above all you must have the flexibility to respond to any changes in the environment within which you are operating. Like most IT projects, the application development for cloud computing will fail if you are not alert to the different changes that will happen over time.

Common examples
For illustrative purposes we can look at one commonly used cloud computing software package. Known as SaaS (abbreviation for Software as a Service), this cloud computing package is used in many of the tasks that we take for granted in our offices and homes. For example web based email services such as Gmail would not be possible without the use of SaaS.

From a developmental point of view the first port of call is to look at some of the issues that affect companies which use SaaS.  Once you have identified these problems then you can incorporate systems within your application development to ensure that you do not get affected by the problems that have been identified. It means learning from the mistakes of other people who have used cloud computing before.

From the top of my head I can identify the problems of connectivity that are associated with cloud computing. Because your information technology systems are being managed from a remote location, it is highly likely that you will have some connectivity problems associated with this fact.

If you take the email communications to start off with, the information is transferred between a minimum of two databases and any number of glitches can occur during the transfer process. It is therefore imperative that you examine the links that you have established with your cloud computing adviser so that they are being closely monitored during the application development phase.

In computing terms, the idea of virtualization is to allow for a multiplicity of access points from a single outlet. The best illustration is that of a web of interrelated personal computers that can each be accessed from whatever remote location.

One of the crucial elements of virtualization is that there is an element of control because the central command unit will be able to supervise the activities of outpost computers. This element is one which delights managers but causes some concern from civil liberties groups.

Cloud computing
Cloud computing utilized the same basic principles as virtualization. It involves the provision of externally managed Information Technology services via hosted software. This system allows for IT systems to be managed from very remote locations where data is accessed and manipulated via a server.

A case in point is a company in the United Kingdom which wishes to reduce the amount of money that it is spending on in house IT schemes. They therefore outsource the IT section of their operations to a hosting company in Prague. This means that people in London work in London but the IT is managed from another location.

If done correctly, the workers in London may not even notice that their IT system is being controlled from a remote location. Cloud computing can greatly enhance the security systems of an organization because it allows for sensitive data to be kept away from the main office yet making it accessible once you go through company IT procedures.

Related cousins

Despite the obvious variety of virtualization systems, the aim has always been to control the activities of the people who work for the company. Once you have a single control device that can regulate the activities of other devices, then you are well on your way to retaining management control.

That is why some organizations face resistance when they attempt to implement virtualization programs. The employees will know that they are being controlled and will try everything in their power to limit the impact of this centralized control.

If you are running a large organization such as a hospital it is possible to use virtualization to split the computer streams into manageable local area networks. The Information Technology department can then create supervision arrangements that are geared to those specific user groups.

The cloud computing context demands different approaches. You are literally outsourcing your information technology and you will need to resolve the normal issues that arise out of an outsourcing project. For example there will problems with compatibility and the staff supervision of the IT sector. You might be taking control form your own members of staff and handing it over to another company when you decide that you are going to implement cloud computing.