Cloud computing offers an elastic, pooled, and modular network infrastructure that makes use of modern Internet capabilities. Buisnisses and private individuals that wish to make use of cloud services, can rely on cloud computing's ability to rent only the processing power they need, as they need it. Also, cloud servers are flexible, in that they can quickly be altertered to suit the needs of different services on the fly, through the use of virtualization. Finally, service-oriented architecture (SOA) allows multiple servers across multiple locations to easily work together to complete complex tasks using predefined standards that the all share.

Due to the Internet capabilities that cloud computing provides, it is more common for software developers to work together that are based across national borders, and sometimes even from the comforts of home. Many successful startups nowadays are operated entirely in this fashion, such as Triternion, an independent game development studio composed of recent college graduates that recently sold over a million copies of Mordhau, their first game, within a few months of its initial release. Triternion advertises that all of their employees are remotely located from over 20 countries around the world, and that they work using services such as Slack, GitHub, and Discord to communicate. Not only are all of these web services powered by cloud based solutions, but the studio also manages their own cloud network for hosting over 100 official servers for players to play on at all times. These servers make use of rented spaces from several data centers at many locations on a global scale, to ensure that all of their customers have a server nearby for optimal connection speeds, which is important for their type of game.

I personally have plans to eventually get involved with game development, but my first programming job might not be in this field. When I get a job after I graduate, I initially planned on moving abroad. However, after reconsidering my options, I have decided it is probably a better idea to stay in *MY STATE (REDACTED)* due to my family all living here. There are plenty of software development positions in the local area, but I might opt into working with a group from abroad. Even if I choose to work with a local group, the odds are that I will end up working with other offices through the use of cloud based solutions. No matter what happens, knowledge of cloud computing is essential to my success.