Predicting the future is far from easy, especially when it comes to the rapidly evolving technology market. One fairly safe bet, however, is a move away from a reliance on localised personal computing, to cloud-based computing services accessible anywhere, anytime using a range of devices.

So, what does that mean and what, exactly, do we mean by the cloud and cloud-based computing?

In essence, it’s all about doing what you do on your home PC already, but somewhere else. Typically, using shared applications running on servers in a remote datacentre which could be just about anywhere. All you need is a browser and Internet access to use applications that run out “in the cloud”.

And it’s nothing new; in fact you’re probably doing it already. For example, if you’re using Picasa or Flickr to share photos with family and friends, or uploading videos to YouTube, then you’re using the cloud. Or maybe you’ve signed up to Office 365 from Microsoft or Google Docs, or use Dropbox to share files. You may not realise it, but if you’ve subscribed to any of these, you’re part of the cloud.

The good news for home users is that a lot of these services are available for free, or if you have to pay, for a lot less than buying the applications and running them yourself. It also means less need for expensive and complicated computer systems, with the same functionality available whether using a PC, Apple Mac, iPad or Android tablet.  Indeed, with many cloud services, you just need a smartphone app. Public cloud services are all very well but they don’t meet everyone’s needs so vendors like D-Link, are looking to provide the technology to build a “personal” cloud using your own digital home network.

You can, for example, monitor and manage D-Link Cloud Cameras remotely via the mydlinkTM website and mydlinkTM Cloud Services, to keep an eye on what’s happening at home when you’re at work or on holiday. You can even download a free mydlink app for your iPhone or Android and to view your camera feed from anywhere with a wireless or 3G connection.

Remote sharing of photos, music and movies held on D-Link storage appliances is also in the pipeline together with new networking products that can be accessed and managed remotely using the mydlink service. Such as the recently announced D-Link Cloud Router (DIR-605L) which enables users to see which websites are being visited from a home network – great for parents – and set alerts for network intrusions from anywhere in the world. 

The personal cloud is fast becoming a reality, and through innovative and affordable products D-Link is making it available to the masses, to radically change the way we interact with and exploit digital technology – for the better.