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Quick quiz: Test your cloud knowledge

By J. Carlton Collins, CPA

Please note: This item is from our archives and was published in 2018. It is provided for historical reference. The content may be out of date and links may no longer function.

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Q. Who was the first person to download data from the cloud to a tablet?

A. The funny answer is Moses. But according to the IBM webpage at ibm.com, the concept of cloud computing first arose in the 1950s in the form of dumb terminals connecting to a mainframe computer. However, the term “cloud computing” might have been coined in 1996 when George Favaloro and Sean O’Sullivan met at Compaq Computer to create a business plan that mentioned that “cloud computing-enabled applications like consumer file storage would become common.” In May 1997, NetCentric attempted to trademark the phrase “cloud computing” but later abandoned the trademark effort in April 1999 (U.S. trademark application US75291765).   

About the author

J. Carlton Collins (carlton@asaresearch.com) is a technology consultant, a conference presenter, and a JofA contributing editor.

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