Cloud: cutting through the hype!

Overview

Cloud computing has rapidly become the most talked-about IT concept of the day. For some, it is yet another new label for the well-worn concept of ‘utility computing', and therefore amounts to a marketing gimmick.

For less cynical observers, it is a powerful set of technologies based on Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) that is delivering genuine business advantage. For mid-sized organisations who aim to compete with large enterprises on customer service, efficiency and innovation, but until now have been unable to afford the necessary on-site IT infrastructure, cloud holds enormous promise.