Why Does Cloud Computing Get a Bad Rap?
Have IT companies over complicated the cloud? Take into account a recent survey conducted by Citrix. Their data showed that a slim majority of American’s believe that cloud computing is something that can be affected by a weather event. In all actuality, most everyone uses the cloud whether they realize it or not. Many of your large, robust websites are hosted in the cloud. More specifically, many of your large websites that need cloud hosting use Amazon AWS. Expect Microsoft Azure and SoftLayer to begin hosting more websites in the cloud. When you think about the names of popular cloud services, they don’t seem to be entirely inviting to the average consumer. Names like AWS, Azure and SoftLayer just seem complex sounding to the average user. Once a person sits down and devotes a couple of minutes to learning about how cloud computing works, they begin to understand the model better and see how it could be practically utilized.
The best way to explain cloud computing to a novice is to describe it like a utility. If you put something into the cloud, you can retrieve it out of the cloud easily. The cloud allows you to have computing resources such as CPU or storage space remotely from any device. Cloud marketers could use overly simple metaphors that can get the idea across. Instead, tech companies want to use buzzwords to razzle and dazzle new clients into thinking their cloud is a better offering than a competitors. More often than not, each cloud service provider will offer similar deals with similar resources. A good sales pitch and a trusted brand name is the method that many computer companies have used to reinvent themselves.
Once the general public understands the concept of using computers as a utility, misconceptions and the bad rap of the cloud will swiftly diminish. Many critics believe that the marketing teams of cloud computing companies are complicit in the cloud’s reluctant adaption in the corporate world. It will be interesting to see if any research is performed to see if this claim is true or false.
