The Personal Cloud Model Simplifies Remote PC Access .

If you’re one of the millions of computer owners who isn’t using a cloud storage account because it sounds like too much maintenance, then the personal cloud option might be right for you. With a traditional cloud storage account, you specify how your computer should synchronize designated files and folders with the cloud. You can then access a copy of your files from the internet – with those copies being current as of the time of the last synchronization. In the new model, you gain remote access to your files and folders directly on your computer. The entire contents of the computer are made available, and there is no synchronization. This is different from launching a virtual desktop on the remote computer. Getting into a virtual desktop can be time-consuming and doesn’t lend itself to be used from a smart phone. With a personally-maintained cloud, the presentation of the remote computer’s files is more similar to the cloud storage display – where it just takes a few taps to browse, search, and view files.
The HomeWeb Personal Cloud product from Cognitier, Inc. ( http://homeweb.cognitier.com/homeweb.cognitier.com> ) offers the new cloud model in an easy-to-use package. After installing the product on your computer and entering your credentials, your files and folders are remotely accessible with no further maintenance. The entire contents of the computer are accessible, and the data is current up-to-the-minute. In addition to accessing files, the HomeWeb product allows macros to be defined such that the output of a routine can be returned instead of a file’s contents.
The new cloud model powers online services such as the used automotive part locator service, Part Chatter ( http://www.partchatter.com/www.partchatter.com> ). The Part Chatter service accepts used automotive part requests from web site visitors and distributes those requests to participating dealers. The Cognitier product can be used to categorize and prioritize the request on the dealer’s computer, and the used automotive part dealer is able initiate a chat session with the web site visitor while that visitor is in the process of searching for the appropriate part to purchase.
Given the trend of faster, more capable computers being available at lower and lower prices, it’s become common for consumers to have server-class machines sitting on their desktops at home. Those machines sitting idle while their owners are away represents an enormous waste of computing capacity. The new shift in the cloud-computing model allows the user community to tap into that computing capacity.