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Brad Andrews
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I
magine going back in time to the late 1980’s and
trying to explain to some larger businesses what
the internet is and how it will revolutionize the way
they will come to run their operations. It’s extremely
likely that they’re not going to understand how
this technology (the internet) will allow them to
streamline their internal operations and interface with
consumers.
While comparing the emergence of cloud computing
to that of the internet isn’t really a perfect illustration,
it does convey the current level of understanding
(of cloud computing) possessed by most
businesspersons with regards to it. This is to say that
most businesspeople simply don’t understand how
cloud computing works, or how it might be able to
add value to their operation(s).
Aside from the fact that (for all intents and purposes)
cloud computing is really just an evolution of
the networking – computing model, the real
disparity is that business-minded individuals simply
aren’t grasping the big picture. On its face, cloud
computing is basically computing facilitated through
networking. In other words, a more economical
approach is adopted whereby all computing assets
are centralized, then accessed / requisitioned by
individuals via networking. This is of course, a gross
oversimplification of how cloud computing works, but
the principle is still applicable.
What cloud computing can do for
businesses:
There are a number of clear benefits that are open
to businesses that are intrepid enough to adopt a
cloud computing infrastructure / model. For instance,
most organizations become interested in cloud
computing because of the energy-related savings it
is able to offer. When you examine the current model
for IT infrastructure (also called grid computing /
networking), you’ll notice right away that it requires
a constant and heavy stream of power to be fed into
dozens if not hundreds of individual computers. An
overwhelming majority of these machines are vastly
overpowered for the work they perform; additionally,
they are self contained (their own processors, storage,
software, etc…). The problem is that every single one
of these machines consumes a substantial amount of
electricity on a regular basis, yet does not necessarily
produce anything to cover its own costs of operation,
so to speak.
To put it simply, most computers operating on an
extended corporate network are merely wasting
energy and
yielding virtually
nothing in
return. In a cloud
computing setup,
all “individual”
computing is
virtualized (more
or less simulated),
users access their
computing resources via terminals or nodes (perhaps
via a tablet, for example). This allows users to instantly
access their personal “machine”wherever they might
be, and eliminates the need for hundreds of machines
to be constantly running / idling (cloud computing is
often deployed as an “on-demand” service).
In addition to helping trim energy consumption
costs, cloud computing is also poised to revolutionize
the way that businesses utilize and run their IT
assets. These days, technology is being used to not
only facilitate profit generation; it’s also directly
producing revenue. For instance, many organizations
which have successfully established their own cloud
infrastructures might in turn begin packaging their
own services and marketing them to their own clients.
Since virtually anything can be deployed as a service
via cloud architecture, the possibilities for future
growth in this area is nearly unlimited.
Competition (in terms of the implementation and use
of technology) is also a big area of concern for most
businesses, or at least it should be. Cloud computing
has already been adopted by most big time
corporations (as well as governmental branches, the
armed forces, universities, hospitals, and others), and
they’re using it to effectively “raise the bar” in terms of
competitive standards. This is yet another of the many
reasons why today’s business owners need to get into
cloud computing as soon as possible.
Regardless of how you might feel about cloud
computing as a whole, the fact of the matter is that
it is going to be around for a while (and will likely
revolutionize many facets of computing, networking,
and business). These are just a few of the many
reasons why you need to begin preparing your
organization for a transition to cloud computing; you
know what they say, “the early bird gets the worm”
or “you snooze, you lose”. Those individuals and
businesses who are savvy enough to jump into cloud
technology early stand to make substantial gains.
* BMO study – more information about it can be found here:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/bmo-study-cloud-
computing-still-a-mystery-to-half-of-canadian-businesses-2012-
04-09?reflink=MW_news_stmp
Are most business owners still in
the dark about cloud computing?
According to a recent study*, most of today’s business people don’t understand what cloud
computing is, or even does…
Regardless of how you
might feel about cloud
computing as a whole,
the fact of the matter
is that it is going to be
around for a while