Does Every Cloud Have a Silver Lining?
Last month, Google announced the release of Google Chrome OS, a new operating system to bolster their cloud computing capabilities. And yet, most people who know Google only as a search engine have no idea what cloud computing is, though they are interacting in a cloud environment every time they post a note or photo on their Facebook page.
In simplest terms cloud computing offers companies the option of transferring their IT operations into an on-demand environment, where they can develop, deploy, and manage applications, and pay only for the time and capacity that they need. But while a few tech-savvy companies may be jumping on the cloud bandwagon, most still have only a vague notion of how it works, or even why they should use it.
Andreas Bechtolsheim, a co-founder of Sun Microsystems, knows all about cloud computing. He knows about Google as well – in fact, he was among that company’s original investors back in 1998, which now makes him wealthy enough to do whatever he wants. According to the Los Angeles Times Bechtolsheim is now spending time with a Silicon Valley start-up that supplies networking equipment to cloud computing providers.
“It is a surprising evolution in the history of computing,” he told the Times. Every application can now shift to the Web… You don’t have to deal with servers, data storage or big expensive computers. The laptop accesses everything. You don’t have to worry about backup or security; it’s all being handled by the company that manages the cloud.”
In a slowly recovering but still challenging economy, when every company is looking for a more cost-effective way to do business, the time may be right for cloud computing to progress from a niche solution into the mainstream.
The research firm IDC predicts the global market for cloud services will reach $42 billion by 2012, and an ABI Research study predicts that cloud computing will also change the face of the mobile application world by 2014, generating a projected $20 billion in revenue.
However, whenever a third party is introduced into a data storage scenario, there are also privacy and security concerns that must be addressed. If your data is up in a cloud, who else can read it?
Does every cloud have a silver lining? PhD Computing has created a “white paper” for technology managers called “Understanding Cloud Computing” that will answer key questions about this intriguing and still developing technology. In it, you’ll find out why companies such as Microsoft, HP and Amazon have committed significant resources to building cloud communities, and why companies of different types and sizes have chosen to transfer IT operations into the on-demand environment that cloud computing provides.
What should you look for in a cloud computing provider? What services are provided by the cloud? Is a public or private cloud approach more suitable for your business? What issues and challenges still affect the cloud, and how can you avoid them? Before you decide whether cloud computing is right for you, click here to read Understanding Cloud Computing. Then, if you still have questions or you’re ready to reduce the cost of your computing resources while increasing system flexibility and scaling, contact PhD Computing for a no obligation consultation.