Once a term only used by governments, cloud hosting is making its way to businesses both large and small. According to Wikipedia, cloud computing “is a style of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are provided as a service over the internet.” Image a multitude of servers that are connected through networks to create a cloud where companies are able to store data. Essentially, this cloud acts as an outsourcing agent for server and storage needs.nJust because cloud hosting is becoming a new buzzword, adoption may or may not be the best choice for your company. Read over these pros and cons to learn more about your options with cloud computing.nThe BenefitsnHosting your information on an outsourced system (that is maintained by a third-party) can really free up space and cut costs. With cloud hosting, you cann• Access your data at all times – not just while in the officen• A physical storage center is no longer neededn• Most have a pay structure that only calls for payment only when usedn• Relieves burden on IT Professionals and frees up their time in the officen• Easily scalable so companies can add or subtract storage based on their own needsnThe NegativesnIf you are going to move all of your information to data centers situated outside your company, then security should be of utmost importance.n• Lost control comes with handing over your data and informationn• Depending on third-party to ensure the security and confidentiality of data and informationn• If your cloud host disappears, where does your information go?nIf you are a small business, or even a Fortune 500 company, cloud computing can take a large expense and make it work for your budget. Funding the servers, software, and information technology professionals can be a real burden and finding cost-efficient means through cloud hosting can be very beneficial. With Amazon moving into the cloud computing environment, everyone has access to what could be a major change in business intelligence. Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud is a dedicated, high performance, analytic database cluster that is open to businesses, on a pay-per-use scale, for a monthly fee. This sounds like an excellent business deal, if you are prepared to hand over your personal data and information.nCrystal is an account coordinator with Location3 Media. For more information on cloud computing, online storage or cloud hosting, visit Mosso.com