Cloud Computing (lateral thinking) contd...

Cloud computing will do to businesses what java & linux had done for open source. It will open the gates of a new world that not many had ventured into. And those who had ventured into it haven't seen the best or most of it. Its an untrodden forest if I may call it. Cloud computing shall redefine several business models and there could also be several new business models that could computing can throw open to. Nobody imagined a java based mobile application the day when when java was unleashed to the world. As and when more and more people got to know java, they looked at it in different different perspectives and took it to places it hasn't been dreamed of. And today we have a linux based mobile OS on top which there could java based applications all of which are from open source.  In similar way, Cloud computing shall go places and I wouldn't say "before settling down" because I don't see any place where things like java and cloud computing can settle. Its a constant endeavor in redefining itself.

Cloud computing as I see it shall be embraced by SME's more in the initial stage and by their ability to pace up and adapt more quicker than corporations shall be the guiding force for future evolutions. Interoperability shall be the key for could computing. More and more office, social and communication tools shall emerge (though they could be called by the existing familiar names for relevance sake) which shall inter operate in the cloud thereby reducing the IT infrastructure for individuals and companies altogether. In early days when transport system evolved people used more of their own personal transport facilities. But as and when need arose, public transport system had evolved and had been there to serve the needy. Likewise, when IT had emerged as desktops, it was consumed on need based by individuals and corporates, SMEs. Now it had reached a point wherein most of this IT infrastructure can be made public thereby reducing the burden on individuals & corporates. Business would now have the flexibility of not carrying the data center load for running their businesses. Instead they could source it from an vendor and have their or vendor(s) cloud for managing the software part of their business. This would enable them to focus on their core competency without the loss of technology. And technologies could flourish without the aberration of affecting businesses in real time.

Corporates are looking to have the early mover advantage by moving or up taking could services or providing them. But instead as always it had been, consumer interest will be the driving force of what a business would approach to and shall remain that way. Since many couldn't predict consumer behavior in this spot, people having better knowledge of it shall thrive in it, rest shall thrive based on trial-error funda. Consumers exposure to cloud computing had been limited in one context and considerable in one context. If you look at web based social networking & communication consumer awareness to what they want is remarkable in the cloud computing space. But when it comes to B2B/B2C, their exposure had been limited to few like banking, auctioning, education, etc its limited. But this limitation is shrinking fast as the consumer will be experiencing more and more exposure to these in coming days. Given that exposure, whoever gets to understand it shall be leading the change in cloud computing.

cheerz,

Sadagopan.