Cloud is Here to Stay

VIEW FROM THE CLOUD

Cloud is Here to Stay

By Erin Harrison, Executive Editor, Cloud Computing  |  May 16, 2013

A lot has been said about cloud computing over the past few years – good, bad, indifferent and in between. From misunderstandings about what cloud is to inaccurate predictions and being classified “gibberish” by a tech icon, plenty has been said about cloud.

Among the comments lies a 2012 Citrix survey that revealed many Americans remain “foggy” about what the cloud really is and how it works When asked what “the cloud” is, a majority responded it’s either an actual cloud (specifically a “fluffy white thing”), the sky or something related to the weather. (Taken literally, of course, this definition is accurate.) But it’s clear that cloud computing and its implications are still not fully understood – by laymen as well as certain tech titans.

I came across a Forbes article recently, which was essentially a compilation of some of the most memorable quotes about cloud, like this one: “Ultimately, the cloud is the latest example of Schumpeterian creative destruction: creating wealth for those who exploit it; and leading to the demise of those that don’t,” – a decidedly insightful quote attributed to Joe Weinman, senior VP at Telx and author of “Cloudonomics: The Business Value of Cloud Computing.”

And who can forget Larry Ellison’s (News - Alert) 2008 rant, mocking cloud, branding it as “gibberish” and “insane”?

“The interesting thing about cloud computing is that we’ve redefined cloud computing to include everything that we already do. I can’t think of anything that isn’t cloud computing with all of these announcements,” Ellison said. “The computer industry is the only industry that is more fashion-driven than women’s fashion. Maybe I’m an idiot, but I have no idea what anyone is talking about. What is it? It’s complete gibberish. It’s insane. When is this idiocy going to stop?”

Fast forward more than four years later, and Ellison is obviously still eating his words. Oracle is of course competing with bigger players like SAP AG and Microsoft (News - Alert), as well as a growing number of startups for share of the cloud software market. Clearly, Ellison and Oracle have since changed their tune about cloud, as the Silicon Valley company continues to invest heavily in cloud, expanding services and embarking on a spree of cloud acquisitions since 2009.

As for the practicality of cloud in business, in other notable quotations I leave you with this comment by Gartner (News - Alert) analyst Daryl Plummer:“Line-of-business leaders everywhere are bypassing IT departments to get applications from the cloud (also known as software as a service, or SaaS (News - Alert)) and paying for them like they would a magazine subscription. And when the service is no longer required, they can cancel that subscription with no equipment left unused in the corner.”

Whether you are a cloud service provider, an IT manager considering cloud-based services for your business, or somewhere in between, it’s clear cloud is here to stay.




Edited by Stefania Viscusi
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