The idea is that businesses save time, money, and resources by outsourcing some or all of their internal applications, networks, platform integration, and server access to companies that provide these tools as a service. This allows for on demand virtual collaboration via social learning tools such as wikis and blogs that can replace costly travel and in house learning labs currently used for training. Cloud computing could potentially "reduce IT and related expenditures between 50 and 90 percent." (Gilmore)
The biggest concern surrounding cloud computing is a fear for the privacy and security of company information. The biggest challenge for users is integrating cloud computing experiences with established in-house IT and merging the two independent systems to communicate with eachother. Regardless of these concerns, cloud computing will change how people learn and will change how companies structure training and employee development. "It's not a matter of if learning executives should consider using cloud services, but when." (Gilmore)
Reference:
Gilmore, Agatha(2010)Learning in the Cloud. Retrieved from: http://clomedia.com/articles/view/learning_in_the_cloud
