Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past few years, you’ve probably heard the term “cloud computing” enough to make your head spin. This phenomenon is shifting the technology industry and getting a lot of exposure in the media, amongst the analyst community and more and more amongst our customer base. People have asked me how I would describe cloud computing, and in fact how an enterprise software company like ours has become involved in this, the biggest shift that I.T. has seen for some time.
The first thing you need to understand is that the “cloud” is just another word for the Internet. I did a post on this in June during our annual Informatica World conference. Basically, cloud computing is “services and applications that are hosted on and accessed through the Internet.” I saw this as the simplest explanation so far in a piece entitled Cheat Sheet, or as I like to call it, “Cloud Computing for Dummies.” It breaks down the components of cloud computing as well as the value of doing business in this way.
So how do we fit into the picture?
Well, one fundamental change about cloud computing is that your data doesn’t live in your servers anymore – the data lives in the cloud. To some who are accustomed to the traditional “on premise” data model, this concept can be terrifying. So how do most organizations approach cloud computing? They dip their toes into the pool… er, cloud. And this means your data is living a double life – sometimes living in a cozy server in your office, and sometimes living in a server up in the clouds.
Keeping track of – and maintaining control of – your data when it’s living a double life can be a scary proposition. And that’s where data integration fits into the picture. Most companies who are betting big on cloud computing are looking at ways to manage the flow of data back and forth between on-premise apps and cloud-based apps. Informatica lets them not only do this, but also trust the quality of the data and link the data into core business processes. And the thing that makes Informatica unique is that we offer this capability either as an on-premise solution or… you guessed it… in the cloud.
So, do you trust where your data is going? Is this how you/your company would define cloud computing? Are you using cloud computing for data integration already? If so, share your experiences.
7 Comments
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past few years, you’ve probably heard the term “cloud computing” enough to make your head spin.
dis guy scks ▒
this is really a small article that tells a lot in easy words..
I’ve been trying to learn all about cloud computing and why is it becoming so popular that its now dubbed as the new generation of IT. But like you said, I am probably one of the I.T. managers terrified by even the sound of it. I believe that the cons out-weigh the pros even if I were one of the anti-microsoft coalition.
And to top it off, broadband services in our area are intermittently a pain, approximately 5mins once every 6 months it goes down and what happens if everything is in the cloud?… everything is on a grinding halt.
Maybe I just need more knowledge to this new technology, but on the otherhand there may be hundred, if not thousands of people like me who declare…”nay” to the cloud.
This is the industry’s attempt to hype something to drive interest in tech stocks. Lets face it, “Cloud” really is just a new term for “Network”. Whether a network resides in a single building, or in the “Cloud”, it is a connection of servers and user based terminals for computing. There is no “Revolutionary” technology here!
The best example of “Cloud” would be the XBOX live network. Users from remote access point (their xbox 360′s) connect to microsoft’s servers and play games against each other. Data is stored both remotely and on the user’s terminal.
The idea is nothing new. Go back to the PS2 and their online game play.
What is new is the risk to business who may rely on this technology for running their business. The more you spread your data, the more risk their is of damaged data, stolen data, and down time. Its a hard sell to outsource confidential data. Who do you trust to maintain you database of customer information, your product pricing and vendor quotes? Is this truly data you want in the “Cloud”? Is this precious data you want in another company’s hands?
For many companies, i don’t think there is a great reward in adopting “Cloud” technology.
My thoughts on the “cloud” are…YIKES!!
Nice post. I found this blog which describes the top benefits of utilizing cloud computing in general, and a cloud database in particularhttp://blog.caspio.com/web-database/top-benefits-of-database-cloud-computing/