Vol. 1, Issue 11, Part M (2015)

Abstract
During the last several decades, dramatic advances in computing power, storage and networking technology have allowed the human race to generate process and share increasing amounts of information in dramatically new ways. As new applications of computing technology are developed and introduced, these applications are often used in ways that their designers never envisioned. New applications, in turn, lead to new demands for even more powerful computing infrastructure. Such a wonderful new technology is arrived called cloud computing. Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing resources over the Internet. Instead of keeping data on your own hard drive or updating applications for your needs, you use a service over the Internet at another location, to store your information or use its applications. Doing so may give rise to certain privacy implications. This article reviews its definition, characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing, types of cloud services, forms of service and players of the cloud and challenges & issues that are expected to be addressed.