Comments on: Cloud computing – pros and cons http://canton.elegal.ca/2008/07/02/cloud-computing-pros-and-cons/ eLegal Canton: technology law blog by a Canadian information technology and intellectual property law lawyer and trade-mark agent dealing with issues including software, copyright, privacy, the Internet, electronic commerce, computers Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:40:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Randy Morris http://canton.elegal.ca/2008/07/02/cloud-computing-pros-and-cons/comment-page-1/#comment-2922 Randy Morris Fri, 22 May 2009 19:26:28 +0000 http://canton.elegal.ca/?p=805#comment-2922 How many of you take the bus to work? This may sound strange, but I think cloud computing is just another bus route. Having your own IT department is like driving your own car. Your IT staff and your own servers are just like the car payment, insurance, and gas -- the necessary expenses to get where you need to go. If you take the bus, you may save money, but someone else controls the schedule and the route. Right now, those "cloud" data centers are geared up and poised to provide great service -- to the few that jump on the bus right away. As more people decide to take the bus, there will be more stops, delays, and changes in the routes and schedules. Before you decide to sell the car, think about the service aspect of taking the bus. At some point, you're going to have issues arise that you're going to wish you had your car, to get into the office quickly and get something done, and then get back home. At some point, not too far in the distant future, as those "cloud" servers fill up with riders(customers), the service will get slower, less responsive, and you will be in a long term service contract that you have to honor and continue to pay on. I'm not saying it will be bad, but don't let the happy "cloud" monicker fool you. The more invested you get in it, the more you have to trust the service provider to help you get done what you want, and as time goes by, that's very likely to be in a less responsive fashion as time goes on. Good luck with that! How many of you take the bus to work? This may sound strange, but I think cloud computing is just another bus route. Having your own IT department is like driving your own car. Your IT staff and your own servers are just like the car payment, insurance, and gas — the necessary expenses to get where you need to go. If you take the bus, you may save money, but someone else controls the schedule and the route. Right now, those “cloud” data centers are geared up and poised to provide great service — to the few that jump on the bus right away. As more people decide to take the bus, there will be more stops, delays, and changes in the routes and schedules. Before you decide to sell the car, think about the service aspect of taking the bus. At some point, you’re going to have issues arise that you’re going to wish you had your car, to get into the office quickly and get something done, and then get back home. At some point, not too far in the distant future, as those “cloud” servers fill up with riders(customers), the service will get slower, less responsive, and you will be in a long term service contract that you have to honor and continue to pay on. I’m not saying it will be bad, but don’t let the happy “cloud” monicker fool you. The more invested you get in it, the more you have to trust the service provider to help you get done what you want, and as time goes by, that’s very likely to be in a less responsive fashion as time goes on. Good luck with that!

]]> By: Larry Port http://canton.elegal.ca/2008/07/02/cloud-computing-pros-and-cons/comment-page-1/#comment-257 Larry Port Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:00:42 +0000 http://canton.elegal.ca/?p=805#comment-257 I think you are right - a number of people will sleep more soundly at night if they can have local backups. You may very well see SaaS companies moving in this direction as it also begins to address another problem: integration with existing systems. I think you are right – a number of people will sleep more soundly at night if they can have local backups. You may very well see SaaS companies moving in this direction as it also begins to address another problem: integration with existing systems.

]]> By: David Canton http://canton.elegal.ca/2008/07/02/cloud-computing-pros-and-cons/comment-page-1/#comment-255 David Canton Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:48:53 +0000 http://canton.elegal.ca/?p=805#comment-255 Your point is well taken. In my view, anyone providing any remote service of any kind will do better if they can offer some sort of local download or other comfort that if something goes wrong, at least the data is there. Your point is well taken. In my view, anyone providing any remote service of any kind will do better if they can offer some sort of local download or other comfort that if something goes wrong, at least the data is there.

]]> By: Larry Port http://canton.elegal.ca/2008/07/02/cloud-computing-pros-and-cons/comment-page-1/#comment-249 Larry Port Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:54:30 +0000 http://canton.elegal.ca/?p=805#comment-249 Hi - Great post! I apologize in advance if my comment is to dry. As an internet software engineer, I think it's important to differentiate between web-based applications (software-as-a-service or SaaS) and cloud computing. Cloud and SaaS are not synonymous. A cloud is a means of delivering SaaS, but it is not the only means. Managed servers can also be used. Many of the concerns in the 10 Reasons article have to do with the specific architecture of clouds, which involves virtualized servers running over a distributed network of machines. These concerns don't necessarily apply to a managed server architecture. The following blog post makes a distinction between SaaS 1.0 companies using managed servers vs SaaS 2.0 companies using cloud clusters. http://saascamp.com/blogs/hagins/default.aspx So, in Ernie's case, it could be very possible for him to be in "ATM mode" and leverage internet applications, but not have to deal with Cloud Computing issues and concerns from the 10 Reasons article. Hi – Great post! I apologize in advance if my comment is to dry.

As an internet software engineer, I think it’s important to differentiate between web-based applications (software-as-a-service or SaaS) and cloud computing. Cloud and SaaS are not synonymous. A cloud is a means of delivering SaaS, but it is not the only means. Managed servers can also be used.

Many of the concerns in the 10 Reasons article have to do with the specific architecture of clouds, which involves virtualized servers running over a distributed network of machines. These concerns don’t necessarily apply to a managed server architecture.

The following blog post makes a distinction between SaaS 1.0 companies using managed servers vs SaaS 2.0 companies using cloud clusters.

http://saascamp.com/blogs/hagins/default.aspx

So, in Ernie’s case, it could be very possible for him to be in “ATM mode” and leverage internet applications, but not have to deal with Cloud Computing issues and concerns from the 10 Reasons article.

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