Cloud computing can be referred as “Style of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are provided as a service over the internet”

Cloud Computing incorporates into,

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the delivery of computer infrastructure (typically a platform virtualization environment) as a service.

Platform as a service (PaaS) is the delivery of a computing platform and solution stack as a service. It facilitates deployment of applications without the cost and complexity of buying and managing the underlying hardware and software layers.

Software as a Service (SaaS, typically pronounced ‘sass’) is a model of software deployment whereby a provider licenses an application to customers for use as a service on demand.

Key Characteristics:

• Scalable – resources allocated in a dynamic fashion
• Virtualized – abstracted infrastructure, apps run in an environment virtually without setup
• Service Driven – pay as you go, on demand
• Flexible and Reliable

What does make sense with cloud: We do believe that many applications could be moved to the “cloud”. The applications that would make sense would be email, instant messaging, project management (wiki, database, etc.), and any other type of application that would require a database to be used.  This type of application management could be centralized and controlled and could also give users in the corporation many collaboration and communication options that they did not have before.  With this type of interaction between departments, the communication and efficiency gained is well worth the cost of implementation.

What doesnt make sence: Heavy applications such as 3D imaging software, graphical layout software, and CAD software may not be reliable or even realistic to work on from the cloud. Unless further developments in the speed of virtualization are viable then it will be advatageous.

Cloud computing services usually provide common business applications online that are accessed from a web browser, while the software and data are stored on the servers. Companies like IBM, Amazon, Google, Microsoft Rackspace, Salesforce are some of the major cloud computing service providers.

Users need not have knowledge of, expertise in, or control over the technology infrastructure in the “cloud” that supports them.

As Document Imaging is concerned people think that scanners are the one need to make the organization paperless. But Document Imaging technology has two main areas like Capture a solution and a repository where images are stored to await further action. And more over helps in a social cause like save green and go green…

The question arises here  as “can you scan to a cloud“. Answer would be yes we can and store it also for easy retrieval and usage.

Scanning or Document Imaging to cloud has many benefits like,

• Minimal Capital expenditure
• Device and Location Independence
• Centralized storage and shared among large pool of users
• Good option for disaster recovery
• Storage and Transportation cost can be reduced
• Minimize errors and loss
• Improve responsiveness and Speed
• Archive Business and IT flexibility

We can conclude this as future of business computing, “relentlessly increasing cost and complexity of maintaining infrastructure and managing business department requirements” makes cloud concept as very attracive and useful.