Cloud Computing and Open Data

Cloud computing means using software and storing data "in the cloud" (i.e., somewhere on the Internet). Open data is data that someone makes available on the Internet for all to use. What do these two things have in common? They both have to do with doing more of our work out there — on the Internet — instead of on our own computers.

This page:
Cloud Computing | Open Data

Cloud Computing

Software in the Cloud:

See also

• Web-based E-mail
• Internet Telephony / VoIP

Also known as "software as a service" (SaaS)

• Google Docs - Software for creating documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and forms and making them available to others
• Zoho - Create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, wikis, business management documents; store them and share them. Free for personal users; businesses may be charged.

Collaborating in the Cloud:

See also

• Wikis and Other Content Management Systems

Hold virtual meetings. (You could also use cloud software, above, to work on documents together. Or wikis.)

• GoToMeeting
• WebEx
• Twiddla - Team whiteboarding, web surfing
• Central Desktop
• My Web Desktop

Data Storage / Data Sharing in the Cloud:

See also

• Social Bookmarking
• Personal Calendars (Online)
• Online To-Do Lists
• Photo Sharing
• Music Services and Recommendations
• Video Sharing

Sometimes this means keeping your data private in the cloud, sometimes sharing it with others. In either case, it's available from wherever you have an Internet connection.

• Box.net - Store, share, sync files
• Docstoc - Share business and professional documents
• Dropbox - Store data you want to keep private or share with others
• Evernote - Capture notes, photos, web pages, etc.
• Scribd - Share written content
• SlideShare - Share presentations and related documents and videos

Open Data

• Data.gov - U.S. federal government data

U.S. State and Local Government Data:

• California: Data.CA.gov
• New York City: NYC DataMine
• San Francisco: DataSF

Other Nations' Government Data:

• Australia: Open Data Catalogue
• Canada: Open Data
• United Kingdom: Data.gov.uk

International Data:

• Eurostat
• Gapminder - International indicators; data can be downloaded and visualized in various ways
• OECD Statistics
• UN Data (UNdata)
• World Bank Data

Web Directories of Open Data Sources:

• The Data Hub [ckan.net]
• Data Store: World Government Data (Guardian [U.K.])
• DataCite Repositories - Many scientific data sets
• Google Public Data Explorer - Data sets and tools to use them
• Open Government Data