taff and purchase computing hardware. Using a service such as Amazon Web Services or Google Apps (offered by Amazon and Google, respectively) for computing and archiving data saves startup costs with Computing and Enabling Technologies fewer financial risks. If the organization grows, it won't outgrow the hardware that it purchased earlier. Conversely, if the business fails or slows down dramatically, it doesn't have an investment in hardware and software with little resale value or one that might be too sophisticated for its changing needs. Large enterprises are interested in cloud computing because it can be less costly than hiring additional staff as well as purchasing and supporting hardware and soft- ware for new applications. It is also useful in supporting IT in acquired companies and gearing up for spikes in usage. Both large and small organizations look to use cloud computing SO that they can maximize their attention and assets on core missions. Cloud computing customers often use high-speed Internet access to reach applica- tions located at their provider's data centers. This makes cloud computing dependent upon spare capacity on these links. Declining prices have made higher-speed links more affordable. The wider availability of fiber directly to businesses and the greater proximity of fiber to residential customers have made such links more reliable dependable for accessing applications. The worldwide recession of 2008 was an enormous impetus toward adopting cloud computing as a cost-cutting measure. Organizations that worried about keeping up with growth suddenly found themselves with fixed expenses for on-site software licenses that could not be lowered. Software licenses are typically 20 percent of the ini- tial fixed fee for the software, and most software companies charge customers a licens- ing fee per employee who uses their application. However, when staffs shrink, these licensing fees remain fixed at the same high levels they were set at prior to the layoffs. Thus, the more flexible fee struc