Today's businesses and governments rely heavily on exchanging computer data files to inexpensively collaborate on projects anytime, anywhere. The basic ingredients — widely used applications and 24/7 global connectivity — have long been cobbled together to gain limited, but important, advantages. For nearly two decades, we have run our favorite software on stand-alone or networked PCs and emailed our data files to colleagues around the world.
However, the game is changing. Organizations can now cut costs and reduce maintenance responsibilities by storing and using their data via various offsite "cloud computing" options offered by hundreds of new and established companies.