Cloud computing could become mainstream with Google’s annoucement this week to release the Chrome operating system for NetBook PCs.
I believe the cloud is the platform of the future, and Google is uniquely poised with their already popular office suite, Google Docs, and their other Google Apps which do just about everything owners of netbooks would be looking for.
This is certainly an exciting announcement for consumers looking to the future, and should cause real innovation and competition within the other computer and software makers.
On a side note, Ars Technica has an article discussing the reliability issues with cloud computing, and whether or not our infrastructure is ready for Chrome. I agree, with the downtime that Google has faced earlier this year, which took down a large chunk of Internet traffic in North America, it may be too soon for firms to invest their money making ability (read: computer software) in the cloud. What happens when Google’s data center is down, and my netbook can’t open an office document that I have to send to my client because of a server issue? Well, we need to make reliability and uptime as close to 100% before people will take this service seriously.
But, SaaS and Cloud are looking brighter as we move further into the future.
Update: See this Barron’s article describing the problem with Chrome, and what they believe to be Google’s major misstep. (Editorial Note: I think they are missing the value of the cloud. They are using the old value model of standard software architecture, and are discrediting future innovation and consumer preferences changing in the open market. In short, I think they got it wrong.)
NPR has an interesting article on the switch from land-line telephone companies to wireless. This reminds me of the AP piece that talked about how cell-only households now outnumber traditional phone households.That statistic points to problem in our current method of landline national polling for elections, which was brought to everyone’s attention in 2008. As technology improves, we must ensure that industry follows suit, even if we’ve been doing it one way for years. The old adage: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” does not hold true in the Internet age.
[note: why could I only find that AP article archived on the Utah Daily Herald site? I know it’s archived elsewhere. Google let me down for the first time in my life!]
When was the last time someone called at an inconvenient hour to ask if you want to switch long-distance telephone companies? What used to be a frequent annoyance now appears to be a thing of the past because the long-distance telephone business has undergone some big changes.
On AT&T’s Web site you’ll be hard-pressed to figure out the company even offers long-distance telephone service. That’s a big change from the 1990s when Ma Bell’s pitchman Cliff Robertson was on television attempting to woo customers back from Sprint and MCI.
According to the Federal Communications Commission, the long-distance business reached its peak in 2000, when it raked in over $109 billion. By 2007, revenues were down to $58 billion.
Serendipitously, I just uncovered a post relating to IBM and social media use guidelines, which I wrote about yesterday with regard to the Associated Press’ new policy. IBM’s document is a “public submission to the Department of Homeland Security as part of their Privacy Workshops they hosted in Washington D.C. earlier this week.”
Particularly interesting to my discussion is IBM’s take on what it means to engage your staff in social networking, and how to set the proper expectations with your people:
Both governments and business must adopt such capabilities responsibly and thoughtfully, with proper consideration ofthe risks, governance, and legal issues introduced by Web 2.0. Organizations must implement policies that clarify the boundaries ofappropriate use for participants and take steps to protect proprietary or classified materials.
They must set expectations concerning data ownership, visibility, longevity and privacy. The deliberate and thoughtful establishment and implementation of such policies is an essential step toward making Web 2.0 tools suitable for business and government.
First thoughts: I really think it is great that an organization strives to be forward thinking and embraces new technology as readily as I believe IBM does. It is one of the few firms that relishes in the fact that they have the foresight to stay ahead of emerging trends and to ultimately take action when needed to utilize those trends for business purposes. With that foresight, I also realize that it is important (and essential) for a firm to minimize risk, but it is equally essential for a firm to allow their teams to express themselves and explore their creativity–which allows people to “become a global publisher for free – in minutes” when using Web 2.0 tools.
Social Networking Guidelines
On the same point, I also think a hard line document like the one set out by the AP is a bit of a stretch for acceptable use-policies and the managing directors within the Associated Press should consulted the guidelines set forth in the IBM document posted above. “In the mid 1990s, IBM similarly issued a set of Internet Use Guidelines for employees, while encouraging all employees personally to explore and become expert in the use the Internet.” Use Guidelines like the ones IBM enacted enables innovation and knowledge to grow, while the AP guidelines can be seen as nothing other than a set of rules set out to stifle the creative expression of their workforce.
One of my biggest learns from Adam’s snippet was the shear volume and intensity of the IBM social media platform. Not only does the organization provide guidelines for use of these tools, but the company also actively promotes the technology. IBM says they “did so in order to encourage collaboration and provide greater outside exposure to IBM’s greatest asset – its employees.” That sentence in and of itself speaks to the culture that Big Blue maintains.
Globalization and Sustaining Growth
I also wanted to bring attention to one other snippet that caught my eye on Adam’s site: IBM recognized the opportunity to tap into individuals’ use of social media as a way to flatten a geographically and organizationally dispersed employee population and to encourage more learning, collaboration and development – both inside the company and with external parties. Further, our research indicated that the personal interactions individuals have with IBM employees – online or face-to-face – have a more powerful influence on shaping the individual’s perception of IBM’s brand than any other form of communications, marketing or advertising.
Again, I think the focus on the employee, is partly why IBM hires and retains the top talent from around the world, and maintains industry leader status within the many areas it serves.
Check out what Adam had to say here.
