Cloud Computing

Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing resources—such as storage, services, and software—over the Internet. Without even realizing it, cloud computing is likely already part of your daily life, whether you're storing photos online, accessing webmail, using an online document editor, or even streaming a movie. 

When using a cloud service, you don’t need to use as many computing resources, as all these resources and information are hosted on machines and servers of the companies that provide these services, such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Netflix, among others. To access these services, you simply need to install a software program, an app, or use them directly through your web browser. Most of the resources used will be accessed via the Internet, in the clouds of these companies. 

And it's not just the end user who benefits from this technology. Many companies use cloud computing services to store their infrastructure and save on equipment, management, maintenance, update, and upgrade costs, which then become the responsibility of the cloud computing provider.

However, despite these advantages, companies using this type of services relinquish some control over their networks, partially handing it over to the cloud service provider. This is why it's important to check the cloud service provider’s policy to ensure that the infrastructure used by your company receives regular updates and has minimum downtime.

Additionally, whether you're a business or an individual user, before subscribing to a cloud service, check if the company is reputable, review its privacy policy, and find out how your data will be handled. Be especially careful with companies offering a free version of the service, as your data might be used for other purposes.

Lastly, depending on the type of service, a reliable Internet connection may be necessary. If connectivity is lost, you could lose access to your files and resources until the connection is restored.

*This topic was proposed at the Hackathon organized during the 12th Internet Governance Forum in Brazil (in Portuguese, Fórum da Internet no Brasil) which took place in Natal (RN) - https://forumdainternet.cgi.br/2022/. It was developed by Cindyneia Cantanhêde, Sávyo Morais, João Moreno, Matheus Lima, and Alan Gomes.

Audio Description

In the first scene, the phrase “Have you ever heard of cloud computing?” appears and a young man looks thoughtful. 

In the second scene, the phrase changes to “By using this technology, you can access various online services from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection”. Icons representing different services appear on the screen.

In the third scene, the man is using a laptop computer. A yellow path connects his device to the cloud, where it’s accessing different services. The phrase changes to “without using up resources such as your device’s storage space.”