| On 06.19.09, In Uncategorized, by kiru |
Today, the real buzzword in Information Technology is Cloud Computing. Web services like Twitter, Gmail, Smugmug, Jungle Disk etc. have already shown the importance of cloud computing technology in their respective fields. Will cloud computing technology be able to replicate its success in Enterprise IT ?
Recent McKinsey report has not sounded too optimistic about the advantages of cloud computing causing deep concerns about some issues of cloud computing technology. While it has been right about certain aspects like increased advantage for SMEs as compared to large enterprises it has also blown up the cost of cloud computing which is the mainstay of using cloud technology
The report mentions that there is no strict definition offered by the cloud service providers. What clouds can and cannot do is only left to time as industry personnel are working in close conjunction with academia to explore all the possibilities. And they hope it is endless. Moreover when its operational capabilities are fully understood, it can bridge the gap between innovation and execution.
Take this. NASDAQ’s Market Replay is a innovative software which provides historical market data along with the current data to the customers at the time of execution. NASDAQ opted for AWS’ S3 storage cloud instead of dedicated database solutions. In cloud data scaling is instant and also charges for what has been used. Now if this application is built in cloud environment like EC2 and the market run in cloud, it completes the definition of cloud computing !!
But whether leaving market data in the cloud is purely the discretion of NASDAQ. Having said that, we come to two issues surrounding cloud computing – Monopolization and security. Already open source enthusiasts reckon web applications as proprietary systems as they cannot be edited by users which may put them in a non-negotiable position. And also if users are supposed to retain their personal information in their computers how will large enterprises which run their own data centers be ready to put sensitive trade related information in the cloud
But as of now, it is possible for those enterprises that prefer retaining their data in their headquarters to achieve cost reduction to a significant extent. The key is aggressive virtualization of server utilization.
There is no doubt about the future of cloud technology as it is categorized as a disruptive technology. Merrill Lynch analysts have projected that by 2011, the cloud computing market will reach $160 billion, including $95 billion in business and productivity applications. But first, service providers, vendors, and enterprises should come to a consensus on business policy development for cloud computing
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