Read one article from the CIO magazine about how cloud computing help people collaborate better. Check it out.
If Your Head is in the Clouds, You're Thinking Clearly.
Good read.
Showing posts with label Cloud Computing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cloud Computing. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Is your head in the cloud?
Read one article from the CIO magazine about how cloud computing help people collaborate better. Check it out.
If Your Head is in the Clouds, You're Thinking Clearly.
Good read.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
How would Cloud Computing Change the World - Revisited
After I posted my earlier article , a lot of my friends who are in the financial industry are very concerned and they shared their point of views with me. A lot of these concerns are valid. These points have become especially alarming after the recent reveal of allegedly Apple's Worst Security Breach.
How can anyone have any faith in cloud computing after all these episodes of security breach?
Well, in my opinion, cloud computing is still pretty young. As I have mentioned before, there was once upon a time when the Internet was too risky to conduct any business for the Financial Services Industry. However, with the advancement of digital security and the standard for operational risk management such as BASEL II, we have seen the FSI being one of the most progressive sectors in terms of the use of technologies and Internet.
While we are debating the practicality, security and robustness of cloud computing for the FSI industry, there are already plenty of private cloud in Malaysia whose target customers are the FSI alone. CTOS, CCRIS, myEG and FPX are some prime example. Yes, yes, there have been histories where leakage of information took place, but this is not the fault of the technology, but rather the fault of the people managing it.
So the risk is more of operational risk, rather than inherent flaws with the technology itself, no? This is like saying since the bank know our spending pattern, we should not use services from the bank. Very valid concern, but each of us has to decide if the level of services provided by each bank is acceptable to us.
Again, it is not so much of a technology decision, but rather a decision each business has to evaluate for itself. The evaluation process should be not less stringent than how the FSI evaluate all its purchases.
True, there are holes and questions that even experts from within the industry cannot answer. But, is that not true with all other aspect in life? People still get drowned in swimming pool - something that has existed for ages.
Perhaps for now, cloud computing is a great platform for SME because of its accessibility at a lower cost. We now have another alternative; we don't have to invest so much on the infrastructure while we expand on our core businesses and innovations.
Is this a sweet deal? Yes for me, but perhaps no for the others.
How can anyone have any faith in cloud computing after all these episodes of security breach?
Well, in my opinion, cloud computing is still pretty young. As I have mentioned before, there was once upon a time when the Internet was too risky to conduct any business for the Financial Services Industry. However, with the advancement of digital security and the standard for operational risk management such as BASEL II, we have seen the FSI being one of the most progressive sectors in terms of the use of technologies and Internet.
While we are debating the practicality, security and robustness of cloud computing for the FSI industry, there are already plenty of private cloud in Malaysia whose target customers are the FSI alone. CTOS, CCRIS, myEG and FPX are some prime example. Yes, yes, there have been histories where leakage of information took place, but this is not the fault of the technology, but rather the fault of the people managing it.
So the risk is more of operational risk, rather than inherent flaws with the technology itself, no? This is like saying since the bank know our spending pattern, we should not use services from the bank. Very valid concern, but each of us has to decide if the level of services provided by each bank is acceptable to us.
Again, it is not so much of a technology decision, but rather a decision each business has to evaluate for itself. The evaluation process should be not less stringent than how the FSI evaluate all its purchases.
True, there are holes and questions that even experts from within the industry cannot answer. But, is that not true with all other aspect in life? People still get drowned in swimming pool - something that has existed for ages.
Perhaps for now, cloud computing is a great platform for SME because of its accessibility at a lower cost. We now have another alternative; we don't have to invest so much on the infrastructure while we expand on our core businesses and innovations.
Is this a sweet deal? Yes for me, but perhaps no for the others.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Would cloud computing change the landscape of the industry?
If you are reading this blog, you are having at least some experience using the Internet. Are you also using some sort of email system such as Hotmail, Gmail, or Yahoo mail? Are you using Facebook? If so, do you know what is the current version of Facebook?
The more important question is, do you care?
The answer is most likely no. You may not like the interface, but you will still continue to use it, because it's free, and there are always new features being added, without you needing to do any work.
Now, that's the coolest thing about it. You, as a user, do not need to install anything to get to use the latest features and functionalities of Facebook.
Isn't that cool?
In my own opinion, cloud computing is going to change the world, whether we like it or not. True, there are going to be people who are concerned about whether your personal information will be secured. There are people who worry about losing the control, as the applications are being installed in some big servers somewhere.
Where exactly?
Err... Again, do you care?
Just imagine the cost of we implementing a system such as Facebook ourselves. We will need to put in investment just for the following:
1. Web Servers
2. Application Servers
3. Database Servers
4. Load Balancers
5. A group of developers continuously adding new features into the application.
6. Data center(s)
7. Buying network bandwidth
8. A group of system administrators managing the servers
9. etc
How much would that cost you? Probably in the range of a couple of million dollars in investments.
What if someone is willing to foot that bill for that investment, and all you need to do is to come out with a minimum subscription cost to use it? If you don't like it, then you stop paying and that's the end of the story.
Sweet deal huh?
Yeah, I think so. For SME, this is especially a sweet deal. Just imagine that instead of spending a couple of hundred grand for a CRM software, I only need to pay a few dollars a month to get to use the software. And whenever there is an availability of new features, I get to use it, for no additional cost.
So the question is not whether cloud computing will change the world. Rather, the right question is, how would cloud computing change the world.
This is like when we first discovered the Internet. Everyone knew that it was going to change the world, but nobody knew how. We are probably in a slightly situation today about cloud computing.
The more important question is, do you care?
The answer is most likely no. You may not like the interface, but you will still continue to use it, because it's free, and there are always new features being added, without you needing to do any work.
Now, that's the coolest thing about it. You, as a user, do not need to install anything to get to use the latest features and functionalities of Facebook.
Isn't that cool?
In my own opinion, cloud computing is going to change the world, whether we like it or not. True, there are going to be people who are concerned about whether your personal information will be secured. There are people who worry about losing the control, as the applications are being installed in some big servers somewhere.
Where exactly?
Err... Again, do you care?
Just imagine the cost of we implementing a system such as Facebook ourselves. We will need to put in investment just for the following:
1. Web Servers
2. Application Servers
3. Database Servers
4. Load Balancers
5. A group of developers continuously adding new features into the application.
6. Data center(s)
7. Buying network bandwidth
8. A group of system administrators managing the servers
9. etc
How much would that cost you? Probably in the range of a couple of million dollars in investments.
What if someone is willing to foot that bill for that investment, and all you need to do is to come out with a minimum subscription cost to use it? If you don't like it, then you stop paying and that's the end of the story.
Sweet deal huh?
Yeah, I think so. For SME, this is especially a sweet deal. Just imagine that instead of spending a couple of hundred grand for a CRM software, I only need to pay a few dollars a month to get to use the software. And whenever there is an availability of new features, I get to use it, for no additional cost.
So the question is not whether cloud computing will change the world. Rather, the right question is, how would cloud computing change the world.
This is like when we first discovered the Internet. Everyone knew that it was going to change the world, but nobody knew how. We are probably in a slightly situation today about cloud computing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)