It's all a little foggy.

Technology is an ever growing, ever expanding frontier. Systems that are current now will most likely be completely obsolete in ten years, if not sooner. With so much going on it can really make your head spin, and that's even with a passion for technology.

For those that are looking for IT to work for them, new ways and processes of doing things can be confusing and even a little unsettling. Changing to a new way may be more efficient and practical in the long term but quite often the solutions we suggest are met with a similar vein of questioning, all surrounding how it works and whether it is secure and trustworthy.

The biggest area of unease that we've encountered is with Cloud computing and it is easy to see why! The basic idea of the Cloud is that all your files and data are stored elsewhere. They're (at first glance) out of reach and in someone else's control.

Whilst a closer look at the Cloud dismisses a lot of these fears, it is true that genuine Cloud storage does keep your files and data off of your computer and in the 'air' rather than stored directly on your device or computer. This has been met with a lot of skepticism from certain clients but their worries are based on a faulty misunderstanding that is commonplace amongst many people, even those involved in the technology profession.

Services such as Dropbox are a prime example of a misunderstood 'cloud' solution. This is because generally speaking, Dropbox is advertised as a cloud storage solution for individuals and business users alike. But this is not entirely correct.

Sure, Dropbox has the ability to hold countless files up in the cloud, storing them so that any user with an internet connection can access files as and when they need them. But Dropbox also pushes and downloads selected files to store on your own computer or device.

So what do we do with this service that both holds things securely in the Cloud but also stores them directly onto your computer? We call it the Fog, obviously.

Fog networking or Fog computing has been around for a little while now but has remained below the radar of general consumers as well as IT consultants thus far. And yet it is a wonderful thing to help put clients minds at ease when making the decision of where to store their data.

Fog computing offers the best of both worlds: A central hub that everyone is able to access and update regardless of location or time. Also, it remains a service that allows and even initiates storage directly on your computer. Fog computing has a foot in both worlds, providing a helpful medium on which to store different types of files.

It's the flexibility and versatility of Fog based solutions that we, at Maven, are particularly happy with.

Have files that are only used occasionally? Store on the cloud.
Files that need to be accessed as quickly as possible? Store on your device.
Need to backup sensitive data in case of hardware failure? The cloud is there.
Large files that you need to access and edit regularly? Store them with you!

The options are there for all conceivable needs and it is a service most people are using whilst being generally unaware of exactly how Fog systems work.

Hopefully, this has cleared things up a little for you and now you can see through the fog just that little bit more. And remember if you have any questions at all regarding Fog or Cloud solutions or just tech in general, we're always happy to lend advice so feel free to drop us an e-mail over at: support@mavenconsultancy.com !