Fruitbowl - Fresh Ideas from Hawke's Bay

You used to have to be a meteorologist to get excited about clouds, but lots of other people are getting in on the act. Of course, the clouds that I am referring to have nothing to do with water vapour, and everything to do with that fluffy cotton wool symbol found in network diagrams.

A real cloud is a chaotic arrangement of water molecules that can shade us from the baking sun, or soak us to the bone when crossing the street. One thing is for sure, clouds have a tendency to block our view of what lies beyond.

Perhaps, this is why clouds are used in network diagrams. They represent parts of a network where the details are either deemed not important or are too complex to reveal.

So the term 'cloud computing' is rather appropriate, if not an unusual choice for marketing purposes. It aptly defines software that is less tangible than what you can install from a CD. You don't buy it off the shelf, so it's not a product – more of a service that you have to subscribe to. And like a real cloud, it not only hides what lies beyond, but obscures what lies within.

I can definitely see some very strong benefits to cloud computing, but I'm guessing that irrespective of the benefits, there may be a lot of people and businesses who, like me, need to be assured that they can trust an untried service. Referrals from early adopters may well be the answer.

The following is a list of some of the potential benefits and issues of cloud computing. It's not an exhaustive list – just what springs to mind.

Silver Lining

• Available 24/7 at work, home and the local cafe (except Sunday around 11:35pm)
• Updates are free (hopefully) and happen when I'm asleep.
• Downsizing the IT department may now be possible because less application support is required.
• Data entered on one device can be available on a range of devices including other computers, mobile phones and iPods.
• Encourages collaboration by those who need to work with my data.

Foggy

• Don't know what happens to my data if the software vendor disappears inside the cloud.
• Don't know what legal redress I have to get my data back if the cloud dissipates offshore?
• Don't really know who has access to my data?
• While the initial cost may be low, over the long term, it may cost more.
• Don't know how transferrable my data is if I want to change vendors.

Dark Lining

• Data that is critical to my business is in the hands of someone I've never met.
• I have to stop work and go to the beach when the internet is down.
• Haven't the foggiest idea how it all works.