Tools in the Cloud

Many services and software on the Internet are running on cloud services (software as a service, SaaS) of different third-party providers that can be used to replace and extend solutions that are traditionally implemented on-site. Some of these methods are (totally or partially) free, and some require paid licenses or subscriptions. Myriad applications can be outsourced to these providers without the need for a local copy or platform, which enables us to optimize the use of resources either by reducing costs by not having to purchase infrastructure or by accessing more advanced features. In this chapter, we discuss some of these tools and platforms that are relevant not only for scientists and engineers but also for various professional disciplines. Notably, this list is constantly growing and we do not cover all the available tools, only the most salient at the time of writing this document.