Marketing in the Clouds
Just Cloud
Just Cloud is a solution for storing files that can
easily be accessed from any of device. Other cloud storage services offer one
or two nice features, but Just Cloud really has the whole package. Just Cloud
has every feature this cloud storage company has unlimited storage and lets the
user access it from any device. While I have not used this service myself I can
say that an obvious disadvantage to the service is that it has a monthly fee. At
the same time this service only costs like four dollars a month so that can also
be an advantage.
Steam Cloud
Steam is a
cloud service that I actually use myself. Although, my son does use it every day
I have also had a bit of time on the steam cloud playing games. This service is
free but the user has to buy the games from the Steam store which keeps up to
date with the latest games at good prices. My only complaint on the steam cloud
is that when the internet is out the game can be inaccessible. Steam is a
digital distribution, digital rights management, multiplayer and communications
platform developed by Valve Corporation. It is used to distribute games and
related media online, from small independent developers to larger software
houses. Steam also has community features, automated game updates, in-game voice
and chat functionality. The software provides a freely-available application
programming interface, Steamworks that developers can take advantage of to
integrate many of Steam's functions within their software products.
Steam cloud provisioning has expanded from 1 MB per
user to 100 MB per user, per game. The Steam Cloud API allows your game to write
and retrieve files for each user. Use it for personalized settings like
keyboard, mouse, and gamepad configurations, multiplayer sprays, or even saved
games. Steam Cloud is a natural extension of the portability that Steam affords
gamers. Shipped first with Left 4 Dead, Steam Cloud is now a proven resource and
is becoming an integral part of the Steam experience.
Carbonite
Carbonite is an online backup service, available to
Windows and Mac users, that backs up documents, e-mails, music, photos, and
settings. It is named after carbonite, the fictional substance used to freeze
Han Solo in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. The generic purple color used on
the company's website is also reminiscent of the color of carbon paper. It was
the first such service to offer unlimited backup space for a fixed price. Again
with Carbonite I have never used the service but it has a monthly fee which is a
big disadvantage to me. The advantage of Carbonite is that the service can save
the user a lot of problems by keeping their files safe and ready for if ever
they may need them.
Conclusion:
This is my unit 3 project covering the three
different cloud services as required by the rubric. I have concluded that in my
opinion while cloud computing may be very convenient and even more cost
efficient in many cases, it is just not for me. I do not trust the security of
cloud computing and I have already had a few bad experiences with the little
cloud computing I have done. With using Steam, I have had one occurrence where I
bought a game on the steam network and then had an internet outage that caused
me to lose access to the game that I had just paid nearly fifty dollars for.
