Cloud Computing: What is it all about?

A short introduction.

 

The last couple of years a lot has been written about the Cloud and a new Walhalla: Cloud Computing. If you read all the articles in the press and listen to the vendors, everything is possible nowadays. We don't have to worry anymore about technology. You can just buy it, like gas and electricity. Even better, it is cheap, reliable and scalable. Your wish is the Cloud's command.

 

So the business doesn’t have to worry about difficult IT projects. They just formulate what they want and the cloud provider implements the wishes within a very short period of time. No headache's about security and scalability, you order and gets what you want 'on demand'. This is a real business Walhalla. At last people who do listen and act promptly. This is what we need. Is it?

 

If you don't want to put all your eggs in one basket, no problem: the cloud provider takes care for a seamless integration of your 'in house' applications and the public cloud. You don't like a public cloud, don't worry the vendor provides for a private cloud. The possibilities are endless. Do we really believe this wonderful story? In the coming month’s we will check it.

 

What is a cloud?

 

If you look up to the sky the chance is that you will see some clouds. Small, big, clear, dark, nice and threatening. Far away and often amusing to look at. What has this to do with computing?

 

Everyday you and I are using 'the Cloud' when we start Googling. We ask questions and get answers from people and businesses everywhere in the world. In order to use the wonderful Internet you need a connection. This connection leads you to a provider which connects you to the World Wide Web.

Just to simplify the complex world of the Web people started talking about 'the Cloud", as a metaphor for the Internet. So just think Internet instead of Clouds.

 

An interesting point here is the way everybody uses the Internet. Before it is possible to Google you have to start up your browser. This means that the most used interface between the human beings and the computer is the browser. Cloud computing makes use of this phenomenon by presenting the results of computing actions in a browser. In this way it is very easy for everybody to connect and to work in a cloud or to connect to multiple clouds.

 

What is cloud computing?

 

As we said before the term Cloud is a metaphor for the Internet and is already 'old stuff '. New is the addition of the verb computing. Computing refers to the processing power of computers in general. Computers can process data and transfer this data in meaningful information. Information you need in your daily business life.

 

Until recently the business data were processed by the computing department, using mainframes and servers to crunch the data into useful information. Nowadays it is possible to process your data in the Cloud. This means that you don’t have your own computer centre anymore. Instead you are using the big mega centres of providers like Microsoft, IBM, Google, HP, etc.

 

The only thing you need is a browser like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, just to mention a few, and an Internet connection. In no time you can access the Cloud and you are up and running to start processing your data. A ‘thin client’ will do the job. Peace of cake isn’t it? It is just like using your apps on the Iphone and the whole world is in the palm of your hand.

Conclusion

 

Cloud computing is a marketing buzzword. It means nothing more than using computer power on the Internet through the most used client interface, the Browser.

 

The meaning is so general and broad that it gives you the impression that everything is possible. Does Cloud computing solves all your IT problems?

 

Comments

 

Please react on this article by sending an email to hms@peterhanselman.com

 

Next

 

In the next article I will try to get both feet at the ground. We will speak with a number of vendors and find out what kind of offerings are already on the market.
 

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