Are we about to see an Amazon vs. Google Cloud “scuffle”?
To say that Amazon and Google are major players in the cloud computing arena is a gross understatement. Both organizations have significantly contributed to the development of technologies which have made cloud computing as we know it, possible. In the past there wasn’t any real animosity between these two megalithic corporate giants, but that seems to be changing as we tread further into the future of cloud computing.
Recently, Google has officially thrown its hat into the public cloud race, which of course, should place some significant strain on Amazon’s ever-popular cloud services. As you are probably already aware, Google (as a company) has a tendency to incorporate technologies and ideas. Given that Google is the world’s premier search engine (as well as internet-based tech company), they’ve pretty much had their finger on the pulse of emerging technology for some time now. In truth, it seems as though Google has been strategically positioning itself in such a way as to spring its cloud computing program upon us so as to make a bigger impact. Maybe that’s over-speculation, but probably not because, as a company, Google is not known for “resting on its laurels”. When they see something of interest or value, Google generally pounces on it (and there’s plenty of historical evidence to back that up).
Amazon, on the other hand, entered the cloud computing race and unexpectedly pulled out ahead of nearly everyone. While being primarily an online retailer, Amazon made the oh-so-wise decision some time ago to take some of those profits and begin establishing cloud computing infrastructure. It’s likely that they did this in order to better facilitate the delivery and storage of digital products, like music, books or movies; but they ended up becoming the de facto cloud provider for a great number of powerful business. To make a long story short, it was a move that proved to be extremely well-timed and thought-out, as the name Amazon is now synonymous with cloud computing.
So, where’s the competition…the friction, you’re probably wondering, right?
Isn’t the world big enough for multiple, behemoth cloud providers? Surely you can’t have too much of a good thing? While it’s entirely possible that both Google and Amazon will come out of their impending street fight with their own markets and products, that’s not how things usually turn out in the real world. A quick glance back through history should provide better insight as to why it’s never a good idea to pick a fight with Google (i.e. – they’ve more or less dominated for a decade or more now, and have shut down their previous competitors and/or limited their ability to compete).
Whenever Google does something, they try to do it better, faster and cheaper than everyone else (which only makes sense as this is how one captures, controls or monopolizes a market). Given that Google has openly declared that it can now deliver cloud service comparable to what Amazon is offering, but at around half the cost, it’s safe to assume that they mean business. Moreover, this could be part of a long term strategy to slowly starve Amazon’s cloud business to the point where it’s no longer economically viable for them to continue on with the program. In other words, it seems as though Google might be prepared to take some losses in anticipation that they will eventually win the cloud computing war, capture most of the clients and in effect, control the market. This is merely supposition of course, but highly logical nonetheless, wouldn’t you agree?
If such a strategy was to unfold, and Google replaced Amazon as the “go-to” cloud provider, they might then decide to raise their prices afterwards (perhaps to offset any losses they incurred during the competition phase?) However, Amazon isn’t going to take this lying down of course, it’s extremely likely that they will also make some big moves to ensure that Google doesn’t undermine them. Arguably, this might be achieved by forming new strategic partnerships with a great number of other organizations specializing in various cloud computing technologies. It should be noted that Amazon is top-dog right now in the cloud computing hierarchy, and they didn’t reach that position by chance, it was through determination, intuition and ingenuity.
Enough about the competitive side of the cloud race, the real question remains, how is this battle going to affect consumers and businesses?
You would think that increased competition might mean that big perks are headed in the general direction of those who are actually paying for cloud services, but that’s not always the case. If, for example, both Google and Amazon settle down into their own unique markets, certain types of cloud services might become more expensive than others. Additionally, there is no guarantee that pricing for basic cloud services will remain low if there is no competition. Think about it – if demand for cloud computing skyrockets and a limited number of companies control the cloud provider market, prices could go up as well. Amazon and Google on Cloud Computing
Prepare yourself and your business for the upcoming cloud computing revolution
If you don’t have qualified IT personnel who are adept in servicing, maintaining and using cloud computing technologies, you are missing out. All trends are pointing toward a massive cloud computing migration or adoption in the very near future where virtually every business on the planet will be using cloud technologies every single day. The simplest, best and most affordable way to ensure that you have the professionals on hand to help you and your business succeed is cloud computing certification and training. Don’t wait until it’s too late or let your competition get too far ahead of you technologically, act now.