Head In The Clouds
You may have heard about it being the ‘next big thing’ but what is cloud computing, how will it help your business, and is Thailand ready to embrace this new technological phenomenon. Jon Russell gets above the clouds to take a look.
Cloud computing is one of the most talked about technologies in the business world today, however there is a common misconception of exactly what cloud computing solutions are.
“The concept of cloud computing is interesting but many still don’t understand it,” remarks Edge Zarrella, global partner in charge of the IT advisory practice at KPMG.
Zarrella describes cloud computing as the “virtualisation of IT services” with companies digitally outsourcing hardware and software to be managed on the internet, which serves as ‘the cloud’. A range of services can be outsourced with cloud specialists, like Salesforce, using the internet to deliver services tailored to suit the requirements of a variety of businesses.
Don’t Believe The Hype?
The Gartner Hype Circle 2009 predicts that cloud computing solutions are between two and five years away from mainstream adoption. The report, which “provides cross industry perspective on technologies and trends IT managers should consider”, concludes that cloud computing is “changing the way the IT industry looks at user and vendor relationships" though it is cautious over the “deafening” hype surrounding the technology.
Education is the next step to promoting cloud computing, according to Kasetsart University lecturer Dr Putchong Uthayopas. “Now is the time to be educating users and IT managers about what the cloud is, what it can do well and what it is not.”
Zarrella is also wary of the hype: “Cloud computing has undeniable potential, however it is no the be all and end all many make out. Businesses must cut through the hype and evaluate its potential for them,” he cautions.
