Some more views on the likely impact of cloud computing here, centred around questioning the validity of the following five statements (see also here for background):
- New technology always supersedes old technology
- Cloud computing is new technology
- The cloud will replace data centers
- Cloud computing can work for any IT need
- The cloud is secure
Now, it may seem that I’m somehow anti-cloud. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It is a sensible method for provisioning computing resources on demand and fulfills a very real market niche. I just do not believe that it is the answer to every IT problem, nor is it the sole future of IT — only small portion of it. Cloud computing will expand the market. I can envision a very near future where companies use a hybrid of traditional dedicated data center resources with cloud deployments to extend, replicate or expand as demand warrants. The cloud is indeed a new paradigm, but it lacks the underlying “shift” that alters the entire industry around it. The pundits should sheath their hyperbole and focus on what cloud computing can do for people rather than what it will do to the marketplace.
Steps & Leaps 