The clouds are forming over Irish business

Far from a meaningless buzzword, cloud computing heralds a huge development in the way in which businesses will exploit information technology into the future, writes Cliona Ward

THE “cloud”, as a term, is not as nebulous as it may seem. In its simplest form, “cloud computing” refers to a system whereby data and applications, normally installed and kept on your computer or local server, are instead stored in data centres, or server farms, outside your location. These applications are then “pulled down” from the digital cloud as and when you need them, via the internet.

Cloud computing is revolutionising the way in which businesses manage their IT needs. A move to the cloud allows for a more collaborative and flexible work environment, and also allows companies to control the level of computing power they need at any one time, which ultimately saves money.