It seems everywhere you go, people are talking about "the cloud," including the flurry of television commercials from Microsoft in which groups of people needing to connect and share information declare, "To the Cloud!" This may have you evaluating whether cloud solutions are a good idea for your company. Cloud computing represents a major shift in the way technology is delivered. You need to understand what it can and cannot do so you can differentiate between products that can be transformative for your business and those that have just "cloud-washed" the same old stuff.
What is It?
Cloud computing refers to any information technology model where the data and business processing are contained in a centralized data center or server and accessed via a "thin" client (a software program or computer that relies heavily on another computer to do most of its work, as defined by wisegeek.com). For those of us of a certain age, that sounds a lot like mainframe computing with dumb terminals, which is essentially correct in terms of architecture. It turns out that the mainframe model had a lot going for it, but the interface was clunky and not user-friendly. When PCs came along, everyone jumped to those sexy new boxes with color, graphics, and sound. The cloud model blends the advantages of centralized computing with the richness of the familiar PC interface. Today's cloud also replaces the old proprietary, private network with the Internet, which allows users and computing resources to be located almost anywhere.
Web sites and Web-based applications are the most common examples of cloud computing. Salesforce.com, Google Apps for Business, Microsoft Office365, and others have become mainstream. All of the real work is done on the Web server and all you need on your end is a browser.
You don't have to worry about installing software, keeping it updated, providing power and cooling, or backing up data.
Desktop or application virtualization is another way to use the cloud. In this implementation, your entire desktop environment or key applications are virtualized to run on a data-center server and you use some form of remote control to access them. If you've ever used Windows Remote Desktop, LogMeIn, or GoToMyPC, then you've seen this type of remote control. With virtualization, however, you're not logging in to your computer at work, but rather to a virtual image that runs in the cloud.
Benefits of the Cloud
The current technology model for small and medium business is based on PCs, local area networks, and local servers. Computing power is replicated on each desktop and all of it is contained within your building.
Maintaining all of that equipment and software can be a tedious process. Something as simple as a patch update for a word-processing application is made more difficult because that same patch must be installed on hundreds or thousands of individual systems. Because most of the processing occurs on each user's desktop, workstations must have CPU power, memory, and disk storage that are sufficient for peak work periods. However, most of the time that capacity is idle and just consumes electricity to produce excess heat.
With a cloud model, hardware and software resources are shared, simplifying management and software deployment, and reducing the requirements for processing power on the desktop. In some cases, desktop computers can be replaced with thin client appliances that take up less space, use less power, require no maintenance, and cost a few hundred dollars or less. And with centralized data and processing, your workforce can stop being location-independent. Just about any device anywhere, whether a traditional desktop, home computer, smart phone, or a borrowed computer in the hotel business center, has the same capabilities (and data) as your primary computer.
The Pitfalls
Obviously, if all of the processing and data is "in the cloud," you have to be able to connect to it. Having no Internet means no computing. There are some limited exceptions that allow "offline" work, but these are tricky and can result in data synchronization issues.
You also need to have enough high-quality Internet bandwidth to support reasonable performance. A general rule of thumb is 128Kbps for each connected user. This means that your DSL at home will probably work fine for one or two connections. Your small office of 10 people will need a T1, fast business-grade DSL, or cable.
Larger workgroups will need more.
There is something unsettling about placing your most intimate business data in the hands of a faceless cloud service provider and you're right to be cautious. Know who your providers are and ask to see their security policies. Ask if they have passed a SAS 70 Type II audit and if so, when. Make sure that your data can be exported at any time from their system in some standardized, usable format so that an uncooperative, or failed, provider cannot hold your business hostage.
A more subtle challenge is the ability to move data within the cloud. The cloud's powerful ability to handle applications on different servers and locations may be problematic if you need to move data between your e-mail system and your hosted file storage. The standards here haven't developed, so make sure to sort this out before signing up for services.
The greatest benefit of the cloud will come when you can eliminate large portions of your local IT infrastructure. Evaluate solutions carefully to make sure they deliver real value rather than just being trendy. Be wary of cloud vendors who gloss over details and make it sound easy.
Tom Strickland is president and co-owner of Sequoya Technologies Group, LLC in Peterborough. For more information, visit www.sequoyatech.com/cloud.
Current Issue - April 2024