As more companies are looking to make their databases as secure as possible while making their applications more customized and enabled for mobile, many are turning to cloud computing. According to Computerworld, the application developments that have resulted from the technology are among its primary benefits.

Bernard Golden, author of “Virtualization for Dummies,” said some of his favorite cloud-based applications to use provide real-time public transportation information.

“I use a lot of public transportation when traveling and use a number of applications that consume data streams published by transit agencies,” he told the source. “A few years ago I would have been forced to look online at an agency’s website to make my plans, which would have been limited to the data in the published schedule. Now I can use a smartphone app that mashes up the schedule along with GPS data from individual buses or trains, and I can better calculate my plans-and adjust them in real time.”
While Golden was describing using a consumer-facing application, as more people become accustomed to utilizing apps, businesses will see benefits from implementing custom cloud-based applications to improve work processes. For example, a company could utilize an app similar to the one Golden described to manage a fleet of trucks or vans, streamlining routes and pick-ups. Already, signs indicate how ubiquitous cloud-based apps are becoming. According to a survey of medical students cited by the Wall Street Journal, fewer medical students are relying on traditional web browsers for information, as more of them are turning to mobile apps.