Even more Clouds on the Horizon

On September 10, 2010, I sent a link to Cloudy with a chance of more clouds* http://businerdss.blogspot.com/2010/09/cloudy-with-chance-of-more-clouds.html

This week’s Bloomberg Businessweek’s cover page (March 7 – March 13, 2011 | Businessweek.com) reads “Put your head in the cloud” http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_11/b4219052599182.htm

That previous years-old article (Internet years that is) is still valid: if I wanted to edit it to make it more current I would not change a single word.
If anything, I can only add that while lots of IT vendors are trying to scramble and reengineer their products to make them more “Cloud-friendly” the fact is that some don’t have a real strategy or even a good concept of what The Cloud is supposed to be.
Others however, have some great technology we could all benefit from.

Seems like the main deterrents for Cloud adoption are mainly the misunderstanding of subscription-based services instead of the feeling of technology “ownership”; and the perception that we will incur an expense instead of an investment when we port our systems to the The Cloud.
Both scenarios can be easily understood by simply applying due diligence, start reading about these trends. In any business and trendy magazine the concept is explained in plain language, and key indicators such as the “Projected market for cloud computing in 2014 is USD$149b, Gartner” bring attention to how big Cloud Computing is and will be.

Even consumers and SoHos are adopting the Cloud, some in a faster pace than companies. They start with the easy to understand services such as on-line data backup, and then when they see the advantages they start switching email, accounting packages, and CRM systems to the cloud too.

Is your company already planning to jump on this wagon? What are your thoughts about the so many changes in such a short period of time? With regards to cost vs. benefit? How easy it is to grasp the Cloud concept?

Better get your umbrella now.

* http://businerdss.blogspot.com/2010/09/cloudy-with-chance-of-more-clouds.html