Playing catch up with Facebook’s Like button, Google has launched +1, a platform that allows users to say that they like certain ads and search results. Obviously, this isn’t something new, at least in Malaysia. Last year, 1Malaysia was launched a year ahead of schedule and it has now expanded to include 1Radio, 1Tv, 1Clinic, 1Email, etc (let us to come clean, everything except – 1.my).

And just when we thought that the “1″ fever was losing steam, “Cloud” becomes one of the most hyped terms today. Of course, the Cloud we’re talking about here isn’t the “visible mass of water droplets or frozen ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or another planetary body.” We’re talking Cloud computing.

You could say that Cloud reached a climax when iCloud was finally revealed at Apple’s recent Worldwide Developers Conference 2011. Then, all of a sudden, books, music, files and photos are all on Cloud. Fortunately, Malaysia isn’t far behind when it comes to technology. After all, we have the tallest building in the Clouds and we can even have roti canai above the Clouds.

So, what is Cloud?

Steve Jobs says don’t even need to know what Cloud is, because you never interact with it – your apps do.

End users shouldn’t worry, however, because the moment you upload a picture on Facebook, navigate KL using Google Maps or play Angry Bird on Google Chrome, you are in fact, in a transition to Cloud. To you, it is a matter of experience which makes sharing faster. It also makes life easier and fun! So don’t crack your head trying to understand Cloud, it exists in the background. Think of it this way, you don’t need to know how a car works in order to drive a car, and remember Web 2.0? Who gives a hoot about it now?

It’s wise for businesses to make the change, however. You can be a mover and shaker by helping your customers make the transition to Cloud. Ask yourself these questions – Is your website hosted on Cloud? Does your product require an additional hardware to run? Think again and check out Cloud Computing, as well as this article.

Pin

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Pin is the founder of 1.com.my. He hosts email and websites for his customers on Cloud. He has written two books on Online Business and Linux, and he also founded a Web Developer Group that has over 100 friends. To learn more, please visit his website, or join his Facebook page.

Purchasing your own servers, installing Linux OS; renting a space in a data center, etc. These are all things that are related to server co-location services. The set up usually takes a week, but still the solution isn’t full proof because you have just one physical server where downtimes can occur at any time.

How many times have you gotten a call telling you that your Linux box had crashed while you were travelling? The concept of co-locating your server with data centers will eventually die out one day. It’s time to switch to a new Cloud Platform.

Introducing the Cloud Server

The control panel of Cloud Server

Some businesses require a dedicated server to host important web applications such as the ERP system. Eventually, most of them will have their apps hosted on a single physical server, which exposes them to a single point of failure.

Imagine being able to provision a server in minutes or upgrade a server automatically. This is the idea behind the Cloud Server. Totally customisable, each Cloud Server gives you full root access to more than a dozen Linux distributions. The price depends on the size of the server you’re buying, and how much bandwidth you’ll use.

Cloud Server, starts from RM400/Month
256MB RAM, 10GB Disk, 10GB/Month Incoming & Outgoing Bandwidth, CentOS 5.5 Ready-to-Use Setup; Single dedicated IP Address

Talk to Pin for more details. Pin is the author of Linux Virtual Server Setup and Guide to Online Business.