Web 3.0 for Small Business Blogs – Save Money on Softwares by using SaaS

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Web 3.0, also known as cloud-computing, is once again changing the way people use computers.

In very layman’s terms, Web 3.0 cloud computing means that the user does not have to own all the computers & softwares, but can use them from the internet, and pay for them according to the usage.

Much like you pay for your house utilities every month, you will use software as a service & pay when & how you you use them.

Web 3.0 & cloud computing will bring immense value especially to small business & online business operations.

Large corporations like IBM, Google & Microsofts of the world are spending large amount of money in getting ready for cloud computing. The first challenge these companies face is the ability to support the infrastructural needs.

The increased computing power of their servers, the ability of their software to support millions & millions of online transactions, the immense amount of space needed to store the users’ data & the bandwidth required to provide lightening fast responses.

The concepts & some of the systems of Web 3 & cloud computing have been available for a log time. Hotmail for example, is one of the first to offer web-based email. You were no longer required to have emails on your own computer. You can write, send, read & receive emails from anywhere in the world. All the emails & the software remained on the internet!

Google Apps & Zoho are 2 great examples where business software were made available to users from the internet. You no longer need to buy the expensive Microsoft Office Suites. You can access almost any of the software required to create documents, worksheets & presentations from the internet.

Storage systems had been very costly at some time. Now you can buy gigabytes of memory stick at less that 10 dollars! Now internet based storage systems are available for commercial use. Small Business could save a lot of money by using online storage systems.

They offer much more than just storage space – they back-up your data & files, they provide a secured protected system to share your data with other users & they protect your data from virus & malware – many of which are sometimes ignored if you are owning your own hard drives!

Box.net is one great example. It is a complete data & file hosting service at a very cheap price. Your data is completely secured from viruses, unauthorized users & there is no shortage of spaces.

With Web 3.0 cloud computing small businesses will have the option of not owning or maintaining their own software & computer systems. This saves huge amount of money in the form of upfront expenses & long term running costs. That apart, since the software & services are offered as services, you pay only as you use them (Software as a Service or SaaS model).

It would take time for small business owners to switch completely onto the Web 3.0 cloud computing mode of working. However, that is going to be the next big change & makes complete sense to start thinking & planning on a smooth transition.

If you are planning to invest in your computer systems for your small home based business, stop & think if any of them are already available as a service? Many services like Google Apps for example, are offered free of cost. Why not start using them now?

While the big IT companies’ challenge is to create the IT infrastructure & a billing model for the users, the biggest challenge for users is adoption of the new facilities. The earlier you adopt, the more you will save going forward.