Cloud computing is taking off on a grand scale, so isn’t it time you should look out as they move their information technology to the cloud?
Cloud computing is not just a buzzword anymore. If 2010 was the year that cloud computing entered the mainstream, then 2011 was the year that companies got their cloud strategy sorted.At its most basic, cloud computing is “just another word for something that has been happening for a long time - the internet,” jokes Rowan Trollope, in charge of cloud services in web security firm Symantec. In reality, however, cloud computing is a fundamental shift in how we - businesses and consumers - use computer technology.
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing power through internet. It’s a service where customers do not pay for a license, but depending on how they use, makes computing power and storage space a commodity, bought and expanded when necessary. The cloud is like a “major technology disruption” that the new chief executive of computer giant Hewlett Packard, Leo Apotheker, has decided to refocus its business around.
What does it have in store for us?
- Share files with others faster.
- Talking cars could hit the road soon.
- You could peep inside the mind of the consumer.
- The virtual office becomes a reality.
Death of a digital business card?
The early adopters were very large and very small animals in the corporate world. “This year, especially for service providers, such as large telecommunications companies, there is an extraordinary race underway to implement and go live with their cloud offerings,” said Bob Beauchamp, president of BMC Software, a company that helps large companies to build their own cloud solutions. “People who are most interested are those who see new revenue streams,” said Beauchamp.
A telecommunications boss told him that “time is of the essence, we must hurry and get our cloud offering out because the market is very competitive, and we do not want to be late to the market.”
Not everyone is quite ready yet. Many manufacturers, says Mr. Beauchamp, has not even started to think about their cloud strategy. Many established small businesses do not even know what the cloud is, reports Martin Leuw, until recently chief executive of Iris Software Group. So, if you belong to that group may be you are not ready for an office in the clouds, else you are!
You just need to have great aspirations as far as you business goes and by storing all relevant info on cloud servers you’d be able to save hardware, software and license costs – not to mention the lowered cost of maintenance and overall business functioning. You don’t need to be the biggest player in your niche – but cloud computing can definitely help you become that!
photo credit: dannysullivan via photo pin cc
