Cloud computing's impact on the IT world at large
Wednesday, November 30, 2011 11:39:14 AM
Though the popular benefits of cloud computing, such as streamlined operations, improved efficiency and cost reduction, have remained at the forefront of reasons to transition, new ones continue to sprout up as analysts, experts and IT personnel realize the abilities of the technology. InformationWeek recently published an article explaining that the industry will likely improve many external facets of IT operations.
One example of a creative advance in technology the cloud fostered recently surfaced in the news, as researchers from the University of Virginia proposed a plan to heat homes by housing cloud-based data centers in residences.
The New York Times reported on the story earlier this week, explaining that the plan would alleviate some of the high costs enterprises pay to cool massive data centers, while additionally reducing the costs homeowners, currently struggling to make ends meet in a stunted economy, pay for utilities. On average, The Times stated the researchers believe the plan could lead to expenses a fraction of the current cost to maintain data centers.
According to the source, the monumental shift in IT caused by the cloud computing explosion has resulted in a broad and comprehensive reassessment of policies, practices and operations in the IT sector. The cloud has forced executives and tech departments to examine their applications, infrastructures and software with a fine-toothed comb, which organically leads to an overall improved efficiency of IT strategies.
InformationWeek cites the shift toward vendor-hosted services has moved the concerns of executives from affording and maintaining expensive servers, to wanting to broaden the amount of services they enlist to assist their company. Additionally, because of the centralized nature of data in the cloud model, the current popularity of analytics go hand-in-hand with the technology.
Additionally, the news provider notes the importance of maintaining a substantial burst capacity because of the inherent 'spikes' in usage. Making everything available all the time leads to a less stringently structured business day, and subsequently more instances of widespread use at off hours.
The massive scope of the cloud cannot be ignored, as many IT industry experts have released big expectations for the technology in the coming years. For example, the International Data Corporation predicts the cloud to grow from 885,000 units and $5.2 billion in revenues this year, to more than 1.8 million units and $9.4 billion in revenues within the next four years.
-McAfee Cloud Security
