What *is* the Cloud?

It's been a while & I've been very busy indeed. I hope to share a good bit of the concepts I have learned & the ideas that I have about governance in an extended computing context. Today is still not that day but I did get some great silliness from my buddy that I must share:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g9penyLM5Q

What is the cloud? Magic carpet with laptop in hand? Not really, although we did think technology would have advanced to the point where we *could* fly at this point. (Thank you Carrie's hubby: http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R909080737)

Is it merely a buzzword for stuff we've already done for years? Ahem, some who may be richer than a few of the Pharohs may say it's so but that rant itself may turn out to be buzz too... It's a strange new world so I'll just not go there today.

This thing is that a resource that *may* be capable of
- recapturing the 80%+ of wasted computing cycles,
- may actualy trigger a meaningful federated ID strategy with meaningful RBAC,
- may force a discussion regarding ownership, retention and juristdiction,
- and may just allow faster information rich businesses to escallate using technology rather than being limited by capital start up costs for servers & networking gear

certainly catches the imagination doesn't it?

Maybe it's not a new new innovation, but rather the culmination of the Network is the Computer. From where I sit as a governance geek, not entirely unheard of is good. Capable of well planned architecture to provide audit, accountability and authenticity is nice. Understood governance and security and privacy governance models applied in a slightly more innovative business environment is good too.

Maybe the Cloud is just a good idea we've all had for a long time that has had time to become real.

I still wish we could fly.

Just a thought...

Posted at 04:22PM Oct 07, 2009 by Michelle Finneran Dennedy in Fun facts  |  Comments[1]