Cloud+Computing+Applications

= Cloud Computing Applications = toc @Cloud computing applications are software programs that can be accessed on the web with internet connected device. Provided there is internet access, they can theoretically be used anywhere, at any time. Most do not need to be installed on the machine that is used to access the program. The program and any data associated with it are stored in “the cloud.” However, some popular cloud applications do require a small amount of program installed on the machine used to access the data. Examples are Dropbox and several other data storage and transfer applications. Web based based applications cover the entire range of software that can be installed on a home computer, and increasingly, cloud applications for large business and organizational use have appeared.

Almost anyone who has used the internet has used web based applications. Google, Yahoo and Hotmail email programs all reside in the cloud. Facebook, Twitter and other social media programs are entirely stored in the cloud. Many people access their bank accounts, balance their checkbooks and even file their taxes completely online. Increasingly, more and more of our daily computing is actually done in the cloud rather than on home or even office computers. The Google Chrome operating system designed to work entirely with web based applications, and “Chromebooks” are notebooks whose only installed software are a file management system and a browser with a media player.

**Types of applications** There are now thousands of different individual cloud based applications available for essentially every computing need. A few include:

Email

 * Gmail
 * Hotmail
 * Yahoo Mail

Photo editing

 * Aviary
 * Picnik[[image:2011webresources/Cloud_apps.jpg width="650" height="486" align="right" caption=" Some rights reserved by Librarian by Day http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/"]]
 * Splashup

Image Storage and Sharing

 * Flickr
 * @Picasa

File storage and synchronization

 * Dropbox
 * SugarSync
 * Box.net

Office type applications

 * GoogleDocs
 * Microsoft’s Office Web Apps
 * Zoho

Notetaking

 * Evernote
 * Mendeley
 * Zotero

Music

 * Last.fm
 * mSpace
 * Bitspace

Calendars

 * Google Calendar
 * Famundo
 * 30 Boxes

Social bookmarking

 * Diigo
 * Delicious

Blogging

 * Wordpress
 * media type="youtube" key="IJcs7muN9XE" height="346" width="616" align="right"Blogger, etc

Presentation Sharing and Creation

 * SharePoint
 * SlideShare
 * Prezi
 * Jing

Cataloging

 * Librarything
 * Shelfari
 * GoodReads

There are many, many more than those listed above. There are cloud-based apps for accounting, time tracking, project management, video chat, website development, and virtually any type of software that can be run on a home or business computer.

Library Specific Cloud Applications
Many of the above applications can and have been used in many libraries, notably including the use of flickr by the Library of Congress in The Commons project. A number of smaller public and special libraries also use LibraryThing due to it’s very low cost. However there are a number of web based applications designed specifically for use by libraries.

OCLC offers a full cooperative management service- Web-scale Management Services for libraries that includes support for cataloging, acquisition, license management and circulation among others.

LibLime hosts Koha which can include modules for acquisitions cataloging circulation serials and the OPAC

Libguides is an extremely popular program for providing subject guides and pathfinders.

Bibliocommons offers a user friendly OPAC replacement.

Costs
Many cloud based applications are free, ad-supported or opensource, while others, particularly business applications charge fees. Charges are often based on level of use or by subscription with various levels of benefits at different price ranges. Some applications that charge a fee also have a version with fewer options that they offer for free. These are known as freemium applications, combining the words free and premium. The companies hope is generally that a user will experiment with the free version and then choose to move up to a paid version with more capabilities. While larger full service applications will have fees of various levels, they generally offer much fuller support, while free applications offer minimal at best. In addition more customization is available and vendors generally handle installation and upgrades.

Benefits
Many cloud computing applications and even software packages are available at little or even no cost. This is especially helpful for small libraries that can obtain more and better software and storage on a limited budget. There is less need for technical expertise as the servers are not located on the libraries website. Web based software is available from anywhere, from any device. This makes collaboration on projects and documents easy, even when colleagues are widely separated by distance. Some programs even allow simultaneous editing. Cloud storage software offers reliable backup by storing files on multiple servers.

Risks
There is always some risk that data may disappear or become unavailable due to cyber terrorism, server or power failure, a company going under or other possibilities. However the risk of these is lower than that of loss of data due to personal computer damage or theft. As with any computer use, it is wise to have backups. Privacy and security is another concern when potentially sensitive data is stored in the cloud. Careful research should be done to ensure that the companies behind the software provide and understand the need for the same level of user privacy as that desired by the library or individual using the software. A providers past performance in protecting using privacy against threats of various kinds should be investigated. Does the company have a history of turning over records without a court fight? Free application generally provide little to no tech support. Although usually easy to use, if problems occur, you may be on your own in solving them. Another significant risk is site or provider longevity. This became a major issue recently with changes to the popular bookmarking site Delicious, used by both many individuals and organizations including libraries. While Delicious was bought by another company, initially many features of the site disappeared and many users were unhappy about the changes. While features are gradually returning, it is still uncertain if all data and services will totally come back. It’s wise to keep a watch on potential changes to cloud services, to backup data, and to have alternatives in mind if a service disappears.

References and Links
No Author listed. (2011). 7 Things You Should Know About Organizing Files in the Cloud (ID: ELI7073). //Educause.// Retrieved from []

Breeding, M. (2011). A Cloudy Forecast for Libraries. //Information Today Inc//. Retrieved from []

Pace, A., Hartman, R. & Haight, L. (2011) Web Services: Libraries in the Cloud. //Internet Librarian 2011 Conference.// Retrieved from []

Kroski, E. (2010). Cloud Computing in Libraries. //slideshare//. Retrieved from []