A walk in the park with Google: Cloud computing

Working in the Cloud: How Cloud Computing is Reshaping Enterprise Technology
Speaker:
Rishi Chandra, Product Manager, Google Enterprise

Janji-janji teh tarik kurang manis

Chandra currently leads the team that looks to expand functionalities on the Google Apps platform and drive success in the small business and self-service markets. He will discuss ways cloud computing is influencing the Enterprise IT industry and what this means for businesses. (Enterprise 2.0 Conference Guidebook)

Teh Tarik Secukup Rasa:

• Cloud computing definition:–computing hosted on the internet accessible using the web anywhere anytime


• Consumer markets, technologies have always overtaken enterprises. Why? Consumer market is darwinian in nature. (Individuals with adaptive characteristics are more likely to be selected to reproduce by the environment) They go direct to vendors and demand for it. In enterprises, choices are hardly given, procurement processes are slower, as with decision-making. Consumers are a greater base for testing for many technologies.


• Moving forward: a need for greater interoperability across many platforms and devices for collaboration and team empowerment. It is not enough to have great individual productivity.


• How do we do this? Chandra suggests the use of cloud computing which eliminates the need for geographical or language barriers and eventually reduces the cost of retraining among other things.


• Why? Barriers to cloud computing diminishing:

1. Scalability can be assured (via Google). Services providers need to assure consumers of their reliability or their customers will leave. Unless you are an ardent fan of a particular service and will remain loyal even if the site goes crappy (up to a certain extent) as mentioned by , David Sparks E2.0 conference blogger.
2. Connectivity is less of a problem these days, unless you were at Westin Waterfront the week of the 9th of June. :). Well then, can't be as bad as getting stuck without Internet in the middle of the Sahara can it?
3. Users expect rich user experience with better UIs, in and out of the social networks. Need to transpose this into the enterprise environment.
4. Breach of security are mostly human made - revolves around trust. Putting your data on a cloud, ensures that your data is safe (subject to the above) even if your devices (mobile, laptop, blueberry, blackberry and other fruits) get stolen.
5. Offline access will be just as important. Users need to be able to work without the need of being online all the time (zimbra.com, google gears etc)

Conclusion:

Enterprises can start identifying smaller peices of the bigger puzzle to put on the cloud and test with these. Innovations in the cloud will happen. No point running! :)

Questions posed after the address:

What is the difference between cloud computing and social networks? Anwer: Its the same thing. Applications that have social networking will be using cloud computing.

What kind of data should be placed on the cloud? Answer: The sky is the limit. You, yourself, determine what you want.