Book excerpt: Cloud computing has caused a marketing fog, confusing business executives seeking to understand the technology's potential applications and business benefits. A Quick-Start Guide to Cloud Computing cuts through the industry hype and provides non-technical explanations about what it is and how it can improve your business. With case studies from large and small business, it shows how enabling a remote workforce and sharing resources can reduce your organisation's carbon footprint. It describes: the benefits of cloud computing; how to choose the right supplier and technologies for your particular business; key security issues and the perils and pitfalls to avoid. This Quick Start Guide puts business needs before technology, enabling you to make confident decisions about IT strategy, make the right choices for your business and reject 'solutions' that fix problems you don't have.