POOLE, England, January 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Accessing files and applications over the internet is changing the way we work and play. Has web 2.0 finally come of age?

Microsoft recently announced that a 'lightweight' web version of Office, which will include programmes such as Word and Excel, is currently in the works. It's a significant move by the software giant. In 2007, Office generated around $19 billion for the company, almost a third of its total revenue. But it's just the latest example of a paradigm shift towards cloud computing.

Software and files are traditionally stored on a user's own desktop or a local server. Cloud computing, also known as software as a service (SaaS), instead stores resources remotely and delivers them over the internet. Data and services can then be accessed from any computer, irrespective of location or even operating system. All you need is a web connection.

As Microsoft's announcement demonstrates, the cloud will play an ever-increasing role in how we use computers. Dell even tried to trademark the term 'cloud computing' recently but its application was rejected in August. The company did manage to secure the URL cloudcomputing.com though.

Many people engage in cloud computing without even realising it. At its simplest, it includes such ubiquitous online applications as Hotmail (which has been around since 1996), Flickr and YouTube.

At the other end of the scale, cloud computing allows companies to outsource their entire IT infrastructure. Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) provides scalable capacity run on Amazon's servers: you just pay for whatever storage you use. It powers Amazon's own websites along with tools as diverse as the New York Times' online archive and Twitter. Similar services include the UK-based Flexiscale, which is aimed at web 2.0 start-ups.

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For further information on Zeta, its products and services please contact: Brad Fry, Zeta, 3 Winchester Place, North Street, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1NX, UK Tel: +44(0)1202-237137, Email: brad@zeta.net .

For further information on Zeta, its products and services please contact: Brad Fry, Zeta, 3 Winchester Place, North Street, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1NX, UK. Tel: +44(0)1202-237137, Email: brad@zeta.net .