What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing and storage capacity as a service  to a heterogeneous community of end-recipients. The name comes from the use of a cloud-shaped symbol as an abstraction for the complex infrastructure it contains in system diagrams^[4]. Cloud computing entrusts services with a user's data, software and computation over a network.
There are three types of cloud computing:^[5]

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS),
• Platform as a Service (PaaS), and
• Software as a Service (SaaS).

Using Infrastructure as a Service, users rent use of servers (as many as needed during the rental period) provided by one or more cloud providers. Using Platform as a Service, users rent use of servers and the system software to use in them. Using Software as a Service, users also rent application software and databases. The cloud providers manage the infrastructure and platforms on which the applications run.

End users access cloud-based applications through a web browser or a light-weight desktop or mobile app while the business software and user's data are stored on servers at a remote location. Proponents claim that cloud computing allows enterprises to get their applications up and running faster, with improved manageability and less maintenance, and enables IT to more rapidly adjust resources to meet fluctuating and unpredictable business demand.^[6][7]
Cloud computing relies on sharing of resources to achieve coherence and economies of scale similar to a utility (like the electricity grid) over a network (typically the Internet).^[8] At the foundation of cloud computing is the broader concept of converged infrastructure and shared services.^[9]

A Mobile Website

Every business owner today is all too aware that a robust internet presence is right at the top of the list to reach as many people and potential customers as possible to attract new and repeat customers. But are you aware that you could be, quite possibly unintentionally, ignoring the needs of many potential customers because you are not catering for their specific needs. People use their mobile devices for internet access more and more so you must engage with them by having a mobile web site for your business. Need some convincing – then please read on and see why having a mobile site is an internet essential.

A mobile web site is just what you imagine it to be. A version of your normal site specifically designed and optimized for correct display on the smaller screen of an internet enabled mobile phone or other mobile device such as an ipad. Because a smaller screen is involved there are specific considerations needed to meet the needs of the mobile internet user.

Try viewing your main web site on your own mobile device. Notice how it does not display properly on the screen and how you have to scroll around, increase the view but can only see part of the screen, notice how hard it is to read the text, make contact or place an order. If you can't fix this for your visitors they may move on to one of your competitors and you have lost them. A mobile web site of your own can address that problem.

You cannot argue with numbers. It's a plain fact that mobile internet use is very much on the increase. People use their mobile phones, ipads and similar more and more for internet use. Indeed, some people do not use anything other than their mobile devices for internet use. So you have to move with the times and ensure your business is set up to satisfy the mobile internet user.

Without a mobile web site then the mobile user views your normal web site. This can be problematic for them not only for presentational reasons as we touched on earlier but also file size and graphics heavy sites can be an issue for mobile users who do not want to eat up their data transfer allowances waiting for photographs and images to load up. You mobile web site will be text based for ease and speed of loading on the mobile device screen thus using very little of the users data allowance.

Ease of navigation is another very important reason you need a mobile web site. Given the screen size issue the mobile device user visiting your normal site will have to scroll up and down to view it and a navigation system built for the traditional site will not be effective for the mobile visitor. Thus a correctly optimized mobile version will make it very quick and simple for the mobile user to navigate around.

So here we have looked briefly at some very important reasons for you, the business owner, to consider organizing a mobile web site to specifically serve the mobile market and reach out to them. Cater for their needs by giving them properly formatted mobile version and you enhance your prospects of gaining those visitors as customers. Can you afford not to?

iPhone VS Android (The Competition is still on).

The iPhone: The one and only
When people talk about features of the iPhone, they are referring to the iOS mobile platform. The speed of the software is great across the board and there has always been one iPhone even though we have several versions every year. One can just choose the storage that it boasts of: 16 GB to 64 GB.

The many looks of Android
Android is Google's mobile operating system and many smartphones run on this platform. Android owners refer to their smartphones as a "Droid" even though the carriers differ from one another. Android phones are found of all shapes and sizes.

The App Store vs. the Android Market
Now this is the most important part that constitutes both platforms: apps. Apps are cited as the primary reason why people opt for smartphones these days. Apple's App Store includes a huge list of downloadable games, tools and is the biggest market of apps in the world closely followed by Android. Apple is relatively strict in its choice of apps in the market and takes critical judgment of the apps that pass through its scanner. The App Store though is the king here.

Alternatively, Android emphasizes on "openness" and does not have a strict app approval process for its own app market. This is the main reason why malware cannot be fixed, but Android followers are happy about the approach.

The iPhone OS has been in the market for long now and hence boasts of good quality apps and more apps compared to Android market. But there are new apps being developed in both platforms and hence both iOS and Android have their own share of hits and misses.

iPhone vs. Android
A unique advantage with Android is its seamless integration with Google and its services. Everyone can benefit from Android's superior native Gmail app. Google Maps feature in Android include Google's Navigation, GPS navigation app for the car. On the whole, Android is a flexible OS which helps you to tweak some phone features if it bugs you. All simple settings can be controlled too. There are slick design and theme apps which can easily modify the look and feel of the smartphone.

But there is a huge issue of "fragmentation" with Android since there are multiple versions of Android available. The latest version of Android is 4.0 or Ice cream Sandwich but there are many new devices which are still running an old version of the OS. Additionally, phone manufacturers come up with their own "skins" which rests on top of the Android platform. These "skins" have their own look and own apps that cannot run on any other phone of any other manufacturer.  Only the Galaxy Nexus offers a vanilla Android experience and are always first updated before any other smartphone.

Now coming to the iPhone advantage, Apple has always been able to offer the best possible experience for its customers and hence seamless experience is guaranteed on all levels. With its latest Retina display technology, iPhone has the best pixel-rich display in a phone and presents a superb UI for web browsing and multimedia. Apple's FaceTime app makes video chatting seamless between Apple devices. Siri is the best phone assistant till date too.

The iPhone is less customizable which might be a huge turn-off for some users.  Also there are problems with its support for 4G capability. This is a huge minus in terms of speed when Android 4G phones are around.