Cloud computing refers to the practice of leveraging third-party computing
resources, such as network grids and server farms, to extend IT capabilities
and reduce the cost of ownership. This practice offers numerous potential
benefits to organizations that want to centralize software and data storage
management while eliminating the costly overhead of in-house hardware and
software maintenance and the personnel required to build, support, and
maintain enterprise computing solutions.
Cloud computing has emerged as a new computing paradigm that gathers massive
numbers of computers in centralized data centers to deliver Web-based
applications, application platforms, and services via a utility model. The
primary difference between the service models of cloud computing and pr... (more)