1.2. Cloud computing and Aviary

Aviary is a cloud computing service. In cloud computing, resources are provided as a service over the Internet. Like a real cloud, the internal workings of cloud computing are obscured from the average user. You send information to the cloud; it is processed and then returned to your computer (see Figure 1-1). You do not have to know how to install, set up, and maintain software other than an Internet connection and a web browser. It works immediately. Furthermore, because the service is hosted in the cloud, you have access to the same service from any computer. Your creations are stored in the cloud, too. The entire Aviary library can be accessed while you are on the move. It is immediate, user friendly, and decentralized.

Figure 1.1. Aviary is a service that performs image manipulation in the cloud.