The document traces the history of cloud computing from early precursors in the 1960s involving timesharing mainframe computers through the development of virtualization, web-based apps, and major cloud platforms from Amazon, Google, IBM and others in the 2000s and 2010s. Key developments include Project MAC in 1963, ARPANET in 1969, virtualization in the 1970s-90s, Amazon Web Services in 2006, Google Docs and Netflix streaming in 2007, and increased focus on security in cloud services from 2014 onward.

1. History of
cloud computing

2. • In 1963, DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency),
presented MIT with $2 million for Project MAC.
• The funding included a requirement MIT develop technology
allowing for a “computer to be used by two or more people,
simultaneously.”
• In this case, one of those gigantic, archaic computers using reels of
magnetic tape for memory and was the precursor to what has now
become collectively known as Cloud Computing.
• It acted as a primitive Cloud with two or three people accessing it.
The word “Virtualization” was used to describe this situation, though
the word’s meaning later expanded.

3. • In 1969, J. C. R. Licklider helped develop the ARPANET (Advanced
Research Projects Agency Network), a “very” primitive version of the
Internet.
• JCR, or “Lick” was both a psychologist and a computer scientist, and
promoted a vision called the “Intergalactic Computer Network” in
which everyone on the planet would be interconnected by way of
computers, and able to access information from anywhere.
• (What could such an unrealistic, impossible-to-pay-for, fantasy of the
future look like?) The Intergalactic Computer Network, otherwise
known as the Internet, is necessary for access to the Cloud.

4. • The meaning of Virtualization began shifting in the 1970s, and now
describes the creation of a virtual machine, that acts like a real
computer, with a fully functional operating system.
• The concept of Virtualization has evolved with the Internet, as
businesses began offering “virtual” private networks as a rentable
service.
• The use of virtual computers became popular in the 1990s, leading to
the development of the modern Cloud Computing infrastructure.

5. • The Late 1990s
• In its early stages, the Cloud was used to express the empty space between the end
user and the provider. In 1997, Professor Ramnath Chellapa of Emory University
defined Cloud Computing as the new “computing paradigm, where the boundaries
of computing will be determined by economic rationale, rather than technical
limits alone.”
• This somewhat ponderous description rings true in describing the Cloud’s
evolution.
• The Cloud gained popularity as companies gained a better understanding of its
services and usefulness. In 1999, Salesforce became a popular example of using
Cloud Computing successfully.
• They used it to pioneer the idea of using the Internet to deliver software programs
to the end users.
• The program (or application) could be accessed and downloaded by anyone with
Internet access.
• Businesses could purchase the software in an on-demand, cost-effective manner,
without leaving the office.

6. • The Early 2000s
• In 2002, Amazon introduced its web-based retail services. It was the
first major business to think of using only 10% of their capacity
(which was commonplace at the time) as a problem to be solved.
• The Cloud Computing Infrastructure Model gave them the flexibility
to use their computer’s capacity much more efficiently. Soon after,
other large organizations followed their example.

7. • In 2006, Amazon launched Amazon Web Services, which offers online
services to other websites, or clients. One of Amazon Web Services’ sites,
called Amazon Mechanical Turk, provides a variety of Cloud-based services
including storage, computation and “human intelligence.”
• Another of Amazon Web Services’ sites is the Elastic Compute Cloud
(EC2), allowing individuals to rent virtual computers and use their own
programs and applications.
• In the same year, Google launched the Google Docs services. Google Docs
was originally based on two separate products, Google Spreadsheets and
Writely.
• Google purchased Writely, which offers renters the ability to save
documents, edit documents, and transfer them into blogging systems.
• Google Spreadsheets is an Internet-based program allowing users to
develop, update, and edit spreadsheets, and to share the data online. An
Ajax-based program is used, which is compatible with Microsoft Excel.
The spreadsheets can be saved in an HTML format.

8. • In 2007, IBM, Google, and several universities joined forces to develop a
server farm for research projects needing both fast processors and huge data
sets. The University of Washington was the first to sign up and use
resources provided by IBM and Google.
• Carnegie Mellon University, MIT, Stanford University, the University of
Maryland, and the University of California at Berkeley, quickly followed
suit.
• The universities immediately realized computer experiments can be done
faster and for less money, if IBM and Google were supporting their
research. Since much of the research was focused on problems IBM and
Google had interests in, they also benefitted from the arrangement.
• 2007 was also the year when Netflix launched it’s streaming video service,
using the Cloud, and provided support for the practice of “binge-watching.”
• Eucalyptus offered the first AWS API compatible platform, which was used
for distributing private Clouds, in 2008. In the same year,
NASA’s OpenNebula provided the first open-source software for deploying
Private and Hybrid Clouds. Many of its most innovative features focused on
the needs of major businesses.

9. • In 2011, IBM introduced the IBM SmartCloud framework, in support
of Smarter Planet (a cultural thinking project). Then, Apple launched
the ICloud, which focuses on storing more personal information
(photos, music, videos, etc.). Also, during this year, Microsoft
began advertising the Cloud on television, making the general public
aware of its ability to store photos, or video, with easy access.
• Oracle introduced the Oracle Cloud in 2012, offering the three basics
for business, IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service), PaaS (Platform-as-a-
Service), and SAAS (Software-as-a-Service).

10. • What to Expect
• A customer using a Public Cloud service can have three basic expectations.
First, customers rent the services, instead of purchasing hardware and
software to accomplish the same goal.
• Second, the vendor is responsible for all the administration, maintenance,
capacity planning, backups, and troubleshooting. And finally, for many
business projects, it is simply faster and easier to use the Cloud.
• It comes with huge amounts of storage, the ability to handle multiple
projects, and more availability to a variety of users, simultaneously.
• There are essentially two kinds of Public Clouds. One serves individuals for
personal use, and one serves businesses.
• Cloud Computing storage for personal use allows easy access and file
sharing. Data stored on the Cloud, such as photographs and music, can be
shared with friends using a smart phone or a friends laptop, while protecting
personal data from loss and damage.

11. • The services offered by the business Cloud are quite different, and fall into three
basic categories of service:
• IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) deals with raw computing capacity. IaaS is
the most basic service, and provides a server, or servers, in the cloud, along with
storage. IaaS customers are often tech companies that typically have a great deal
of IT expertise. The goal is to have access to computing power, without the
responsibilities of installation or maintenance.
• PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) supports writing software for computer systems
that need it. This Cloud-based service lets businesses write software for
integrating existing applications, or develop custom applications. PaaS
environments are equipped with software development technologies, such as
.NET, Python, Ruby on Rails, and Java. When the code is finished, the service
provider will host it, making it available to other internet users. Currently, PaaS is
the smallest part of the Cloud Computing market, and has been used by businesses
wanting to outsource part of their infrastructure.
• SAAS (Software-as-a-Service) provides software. This part of the Cloud is the
largest and most developed. It is a program, or a suite of applications, available
within the Cloud, rather than a computer’s hard drive. ing to outsource part of
their infrastructure.

12. • Security
• By 2014, Cloud Computing had developed its basic features, and security had become the primary
focus. Cloud security has become a fast-growing service, because of its importance to customers.
Cloud security has advanced significantly in the last two years, and now provides protection
comparable to traditional IT security systems. This includes the protection of critical information
from accidental deletion, theft, and data leakage. Having said that, security is, and may always be,
the primary concern of most Cloud users.
• Private Clouds
• Currently, businesses can develop a Private Cloud system, designed for their particular needs.
These Private Clouds store, and can share, sensitive data. Staff “can” also use, Public Clouds, or a
combination of the two, called a Hybrid Cloud. Much of the modern business consumer market
relies on Cloud services. Private Cloud Computing is currently used for email, to log-in on online
gaming platforms, and for Facebook.
• These Private Clouds are basically data centers, using many of the basic Cloud technologies.
Private Clouds offer all the advantages of a Public Cloud, but have the advantage of controlling
security and privacy concerns. The situation, however, leads to a bit of a dilemma.
• Over time, Public Cloud Computing companies, who are intensely competitive, will expand their
scalability and lower prices. Many Private Cloud owners will probably not be able to keep up, after
having invested a small fortune in their own system. One must also add to the equation the Amazon
Web Services “Cloud outage,” causing client websites to become inaccessible, or difficult to work
with, for several hours. It must also be understood a Private Cloud could suffer the same kind of
problem, quite possibly with a longer outage.