a site by Erik T. Kaiser, Design Technologist

Cloud computing hype has been “deafening” lately, as the Economist puts it plainly. But, is it really hype or is it an accurate vision of the future of enterprise?

Given the straitened times, you would have thought that cash-strapped companies would be jumping at the chance to outsource their computing operations to the Amazons, Googles, Salesforces and Microsofts of the world. Along with others, such providers have been vying to offer their customers access to data-processing and storage capacity, plus all the usual business software running on their own servers, via the internet or more private connections… Yet there have been few takers. What is holding IT managers back is fear about security. // via Tech.view: Cloudy with a chance of rain | The Economist.

I value the opinion of the author of this article, as he brings up valid objections to the technology, but ultimately, I believe that cloud is the future of IT; notwithstanding the security threat belabored above.

Why?

Because history has proven many times that firms that focus on their core competencies survive and thrive. Yes, security is a valid concern for in-house control, but I can envision a world where cloud companies will have more than adequate levels of protection, given the nature of their core competency–the cloud.

Companies that are not enterprise software or consulting firms should let the heavy lifting take place by the pros. It’s as simple as that. Companies should focus on what they do and let the business service firms come in and do what they do: cut costs, optimize, and deliver high performance results.

Beyond that simple business logic, it just makes sense that firms will start putting assets in the cloud. Why maintain systems, clients, software, and enterprise applications when another company can incur those costs and just charge you for what you use? Scalability is key here, and will continue into the future.

Fear

Clearly, firms are scared about security. Rightfully so. They are also scared about up-time and stability. Microsoft and Google have recently dealt with very public issues regarding cloud technology (think Sidekick and Gmail outages). BUT–flexible computing is the future, and you will see, as the technology is slowly adopted, more firms will jump on board. The future is in outsourced computing and the cloud.

In the cloud, a company can contract for redundancy, and why not let the people who specialize in these technologies be in charge of maintaining your data. After all, if you are a baker, you wouldn’t expect to install the ovens and supply your own gas to fire them, would you? You would get a specialist: an oven installer, and contract with a utility to supply the store. Here, the cloud is the utility. They manage the processes that supply your bakery’s pipeline.

The analogy is scalable. If you are in enterprise, you wouldn’t expect to be an expert in implementations of databases and customer relationship management software, so why not let an expert deal with that, so you can focus on what you do best, interacting with your customers. Technology is a partner, and helps facilitate business, it is not the core of your business. And for that reason, the cloud is a perfect solution.

Risk and Rewards

Yes, there is risk. There is risk in everything we do in business. Calculated and managed risk can involve great reward and with technology improving at such breakneck speeds, these risks can be minimized. Redundancy and security solutions can be customized to alleviate any concerns a company may have regarding outsourcing technology and processing information. So, why not let a professional that has expertise in assuming those levels of risk, and manages global security on a holistic scale do that, rather than go it alone when it’s not your forte?

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