Every so often comes a new buzz word or phrase. The current one making global recognition is the phrase "the cloud". However we are finding that there is a lack of understanding within businesses as to what this new IT terminology actually represents and whether it is something they need to familiarise themselves with.

Well although there are varied definitions floating about on the Internet, we like to think of Cloud services as any service or application which is not locally installed on your PC or network, instead it sits out on the Internet where you gain access to it. Essentially all websites are in the cloud, however it's become more common now to have more than just websites hosted on the Internet. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter really emphasise how easy it is to have an online communication and collaborative area accessible from pretty much anywhere even through most modern phones.

• Lower upfront costs versus purchasing your own Hardware & Software
• Centrally maintained & supported meaning less resources required in house
• Hosted in a 24/7 redundant datacentre gives more assurance for uptime than hosting in your own offices
• Ability to access the hosted services from anywhere in the world
• Easier to expand quickly using hosted services without the need to keep upgrading or purchasing hardware & licences
• Also if the company needs to shrink quickly, this will also be possible and will allow ongoing costs to be reduced