Grid computing is a shape of networking. Such networks are unlike conventional networks that concentrate on communication among devices, grid computing controls unused processing cycles of all computers in a network for solving problems too rigorous for any stand-alone machine. A famous grid computing project is the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) @Home project, in which PC users worldwide give unused processor cycles to help the search for signs of space life by analyzing signals coming from outer space. Grid computing does require special software that is exclusive for the computing projects.
