Cloud computing has been the most talked about chapter in the books of web hosting industry. After Cloud hosting services came into full swing the scenario has changed totally, there were many questions that it has replaced the traditional hosting, replaced the storage network, replaced enterprise architecture etc. But we can say that cloud has become an integral part which doesn’t replaced anything rather given a new meaning to the existing technology.

Cloud computing has made its way ahead in many major areas like local storage / backup & light weight desktop apps. Cloud computing services basically based on virtual environment which is easy to operate and safe to work with. Local storage / backup generally refers to There are a bunch of cloud based data sharing / backup services out there like Dropbox, sugar sync and sky drive. These are great for sharing files and backing them up, but due to connectivity issues and reliability / security issues these are often used in tandem with traditional options like CDs / DVDs and NAS. Whereas, Lightweight Apps – Document creation, calendar apps, simple photo editing etc can all be done in the cloud via the web. Google Docs and Zoho don’t offer all the features of MS Office or even Open Office, but they’re “good enough” for a lot of people and getting better all the time. Photoshop.com and Picnik allow for simple photo editing which can save a lot of money for basic users because they won’t have to buy and install a more expensive program.

Its just a myth that cloud computing has even replace the old traditional dedicated servers, because the dedicated servers are famous for the their security and full control, which cloud do provide the security but not the full control over the servers because of virtualization. Cloud server hosting is going to dominate the industry, and will see is a massive, and I do mean massive, shift away from dedicated servers towards cloud computing. But there are certain use cases and applications that will necessitate dedicated hardware for a while (think the CIA, certain banking systems, etc). So while it will replace most dedicated servers over time, it won’t completely replace it. There will always be a certain niche market for dedicated servers.