Cloud Computing is the latest buzz and hype in the software industry today. The term cloud here refers to the abstraction of computing infrastructure. It means that you are able to use certain hardware infrastructure for your computing needs, but you are not aware of the exact hardware location in terms of the data center as to where this hardware is present.
The cloud revolution gives you the capability of renting hardware infrastructure on a subscription basis, just like you use electricity. It provides you with an ability to rent the infrastructure for your computing needs and use and pay for it till the time you need it. It gives an entrepreneur an ability to test their software on rented hosted hardware. They can also host their entrepreneurial venture on a cloud and thus get an easy start in their endeavor.
There are various vendors who provide Infrastructure as a service e.g. Amazon, Rackspace, Savvis, Terremark etc. Eucylaptus provides a free open source cloud option. Amazon gives you an ability to rent processing power, hard disk space, bandwidth etc. Amazon also provides you with an online calculator which will help you calculate your approximate monthly bill of hardware hosting.
The cloud hosting vendors provide various operating system options from which you can choose e.g. Windows, Linux etc. Thus, just give it a try and host your application on any cloud. Have a Happy Floating Cloud Experience !
