Has cloud computing already become the new norm?
Take a minute and think about your daily tech routine. What’s the first thing most of us do when we fire up our devices and/or computers? It’s safe to say that most people immediately delve into their email boxes, right? From there maybe you’ll go on to transfer, upload or download some content from some storage site (pictures, documents, videos, audio files, etc…). Perhaps you have received several emails over the course of the night with YouTube links and you go on to check those out.
The question is, what do all of these things have in common? If you answered “they all use and/or rely on cloud computing technology”, then you are correct. In truth, most of the major sites we visit every day and the online services we use are facilitated by way of cloud computing. For a large portion of the world’s population, cloud computing is already the norm, whether or not they realize it.
However, when it comes to business, cloud computing hasn’t completely replaced or overtaken traditional IT (yet). Does this mean that the technology is inherent geared-toward consumers and the general population? Not exactly; cloud computing is just as useful to businesses as it is to individuals, if not more so.
There is an almost insane number of ways that cloud technology can be leveraged, even by smaller organizations, to enable them to reach out to new clientele and better service their existing customer base. For example, even organizations that aren’t reliant on cloud providers are still using cloud-powered social media sites and tools to advertise and generate buzz. Beyond advertising, some businesses are even using cheap or free cloud services to host or deliver their products or site content. The point is that businesses are already using cloud computing to further their agendas in a staggering number of ways, with more coming on board all the time.
What do cloud providers and dedicated hosting services have to offer businesses, exactly?
Regardless of what type of industry a business is involved in, once it reaches a certain size it will likely require internal and/or external IT assets. They need IT to help facilitate the processing of larger work loads in a more efficient manner, as well as perhaps to assist in the creation of sales / online-based self service resources.
One of the main benefits of seeking out a complete cloud solution via a provider (for most companies) is the prospect of having their IT services thoroughly managed. In other words, if a business is paying for cloud computing through a provider, they will often have the option to choose whether they want IT management to be completely covered, absent, or somewhere in between.
Some organizations see their cloud provider(s) as being merely a provider of infrastructure or a platform; which their own IT department can use and manage. Others might even see cloud computing as a total IT solution and perhaps even as a means of eliminating or downsizing their IT permanently.
Apart from the many ways businesses are looking at or using cloud computing, IT professionals need to take stock of their situation. The fact that so many of companies are jumping at the opportunity to adopt cloud computing should be reason enough to motivate most IT workers to seek out some form of cloud computing certification and/or training.
Most trends forecasters and technical gurus are quick to note these days that all signs point toward the continuing increase in adoption of cloud computing by businesses and individuals. As previously stated, the evidence of this is literally all around us; in truth, it’s getting harder and harder to find successful businesses that aren’t using some type of cloud technology these days. The point is, if you are an IT careerist, you need to start looking into ways to increase your ability to utilize and service cloud computing systems and infrastructure.
Where do we go from here?
Given the sharp rise in the total number of cloud-related businesses, brokers, providers, and facilitators, it’s safe to say that the market for cloud computing is expanding. Not only is it getting bigger, but it is also generating more innovation through increasing competition. Furthermore, all of the large megalithic corporations have devoted extensive financial resources and research toward the development of various cloud computing technologies (and that alone should be a major indicator of global importance).
It could be argued that we are nearing or have already surpassed the point whereby cloud computing has replaced the notion of traditional IT entirely, which would in fact mean that it is the norm. At any rate, whether this has happened already or might be poised to occur in the very near future, it seems that information and evidence is dictating that cloud computing will become the new standard in the very near future.