World Wide Web

 An article from the July 2008 issue of Technology News entitled Cloud Computing explains how Data and programs that used to be accessible mainly on desktop PCs, laptops and corporate server rooms are now installed in “the cloud”. Cloud computing; also known as on-demand computing, changes where users access software and save data by relying on a third party service provider for these functions. With Cloud Computing major components of the software reside on unseen computers; potentially located around the world.

I can see the appeal of this type of computing for some individuals in alleviating the burden of purchasing, installing and updating individual computers however I don't think this is a one size fits all solution. There are definitely users that won't embrace these advances and will find that the cons far outwhey the benefits for them.

Software vendors also face pros and cons of shifting their products to the cloud. Some benefits are their ability to choose which platforms their products will run on instead of having to cope with a huge variety of operating systems. Vendors will also be able to offer software fixes and updates relatively quickly and easily.  Some challenges may be on  the server side software with difficulties being able to interact with a variety of clients.

Some companies are already paving the way of the future of Cloud computing. Google has developed Google Docs programs; a word processor, spreadsheet and power-point like program available on the web. Adobe has also acquired Buzzword; a web based word processor, and Photoshop Express online image processing. Amazon Web Services offers data storage priced by the gigabyte-month and computing capacity by the CPU hour. Both resources are contracted according to the users need. With many other companies beginning to follow suit.

Not only are there design and functionality issues that face the developers of web based software and operating systems, they are also faced with questions of privacy, security and reliability. None of these obstacles appear to be small tasks to overcome. Since there are many well-established technology companies who currently have an interest and some who are already competing in this market,  I do not doubt their ability to overcome these roadblocks to bringing this technology into market dominance in the foreseeable future.

Networks and Communication

I have always been personally inspired by those who have the ambition, courage and ability to think outside the box and follow through on the  implementation of  their ideas. An article on the Huffington Post "The Power of Skype to Inspire a New Generation of STEM" is an amazing example of how people can inspire others through innovative ideas.

STEM education is an acronym for the fields of study in  science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The term is  used to address education policy and curriculum choices in schools from kindergarten through college to improve competitiveness in technology development.

The Huffington Post article talked about how teachers are using Skype to bring unique learning opportunities across all fields and  from around the world to the classroom. Skype gives students the ability to personally interact with Marine biologists, Soldiers,  mystery guests, you name it. Combining creativity, technology and education is a brilliant way to open the eyes and minds of students and educators. This hands on type of learning can be used to compliment the classroom lessons and cannot compare to the singular focused learning methods for inspiring the student to seek out more information about what they just learned.

It is great to see the learning and sharing of ideas across the fields of study. Combining creativity and innovation is a powerful tool. It will be exciting to see the future of possibilities.