Cloud Computing – The Banking of Cyberspace
Posted by Yoel Sommer on Tue, Sep 21, 2010
Imagine each of us had to keep his personal and business assets at his own house or office. We would have to install a good safe, an alarm system, and if we are really paranoid (or rich…) some security guards and maybe even some security cameras. We won't feel secure when we leave the house, fearing that our lifesavings would be lost to a professional burglar. If this is not enough, imagine that our safe and security system could suddenly malfunction and all our money would just disappear.
Today, most of us store our information, which is one of our most expensive assets, at our home or at our offices, guarded by unskilled IT staff, on simple, unreliable hardware, or rather on expensive sophisticated hardware which has to go through a costly upgrade every couple of months. This same hardware is usually used by our staff as their own personal desktop and for their pastime net surfing dock, putting it in a condition of constant vulnerability.
As we deposit our money in a bank, why not deposit our software and information using cloud computing?
- Cloud computing supplies a solution all small and medium businesses should take into consideration.
- Cloud computing offers a professional "security team" to safeguard your software and valuable documents from computer malfunction.
- Cloud computing offers an ever updating hardware "safe" – no need to deal with updating the hardware or purchasing super expensive hardware in large quantities. All your data and software is stored at the cloud database. You don’t need more than a simple computer with an internet connection. This makes cloud computing eco-friendly as well, saving the need for constant renovation of all the company's hardware.
- You can withdraw your "cash" from anywhere – your information is stored on the cloud database, available at your choice from anywhere in the world, anytime.
Our major obstacle in using cloud computing may be our somewhat justified fear of putting our valuables at another's nest.
In the 13th century the Templar knights revolutionized the concept of banking, spreading it across Europe as a safe method to transfer money, protecting against the infestation of highway robbers (who were somewhat less romantic than Robin Hood). There is no doubt they had to work hard in order to convince people it's safe to deposit their money, but their reliability and reputation made it possible.
Today, Cloud computing is starting the same revolution in the world of cyberspace. In time, our fear of trusting others to safeguard our data will disappear in light of the obvious advantages.