Is the Cloud just someone else’s computer?

“The Cloud is what we used to call ‘someone else’s computer.’”

Is that really true?  With all the talk of “The Cloud”, “Cloud Computing”, “Cloud Hosting”, it sounds like whatever this cloud is, it’s either the future of everything or another chain to restrict freedom.  So what is it, and is it a good thing?

The problem is that there’s multiple meanings to “cloud”.  Depending on what you’re actually talking about, it could be a great cost savings or a massive risk factor (or both).  So what do we actually mean by “cloud”, and how can we maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks?

This session will seek to clarify what different people mean by “the cloud”, what its trade-offs are, and when what kind of “cloud provider” you should be looking for.