The Cloud: have you got it yet?

“Our vision, simply put, is to thrive in this world of mobile first, cloud first going forward.”

These words, set out by the Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, will define how devices and services interact in the coming years for the company.

But what is the cloud?

In its simplest terms, and how we define it here at Conversations, the cloud is a place where data is stored securely ‘off’ device and accessible across all of your internet-connected devices, such as Lumia and Surface.

OneDrive is a prime example; an online storage tool that gives you 7GB of free space to store exactly what you want. As long as your mobile device, tablet, Xbox, PC or Mac is connected to the internet and has the OneDrive app/software, you’ll be able to access your data whenever, wherever.

OneDrive also allows you to sync content automatically from folders stored locally on your computer. This means that, even if you’re offline, you can work on documents, which will then be updated once you’re back online.

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App in the air

There are cloud applications, too. Microsoft’s Office Online –part of Office 365 – gives you web-based access to Word, Powerpoint, Excel, OneNote and Outlook, allowing you to create and collaborate on documents in real-time.

As long as you have the app on your mobile device – Office is built into Lumia and is also compatible with iOS – you’ll be able to open up, edit and save cloud-based documents.

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Business sync

Cloud isn’t just for home and personal use, either. Windows Intune allows IT managers to manage mobile devices, such as the Lumia, and computers directly from the cloud. It’ll also support iOS and Android devices. Azure Active Directory also offers cloud-based identity and access management for enterprise customers.

So, whether you’re storing family photos or running businesses, now’s the time to get your head into the cloud.

Have you already? Let us know…