The fear cloud
Posted by Chris Chapman on Tue, Oct 25, 2011 @ 08:48 AM
Dispelling Terror at 20,000 Feet
By now you've at least heard of cloud computing and probably been aggressively approached to join the growing trend. Just load up all your servers and data on the next available flight and ship 'em off to the cloud. Only...what's that on the wing? This cloud thing is starting to seem a bit scary. OK, a lot scary!
Who has my data? Where IS my server? How safe is everything? What if this crashes or is hacked and I lose my whole business?
So you think: You know what, I'll just stay here on solid ground. I may not be trendy, but it won't cost me, and I'll be fine.
A slightly paranoid reaction is a normal response, not just to hoste
d/cloud technology but to technology in general given the often volatile nature of computing trends and the insane speed with which technology evolves. But with a bit of education and some pragmatic decisions, you can keep up with technology and not feel like you're going into a dark, creepy basement alone.
You need to dispel the myth that by having a laptop or server "in your hands" you actually have more control and safety. The reality is that these physical devices are only as reliable as the software and maintenance that are applied. Just take a look at the number of computers that crash on a daily basis.
And once these devices crash or worse yet, walk off or get physically damaged, the problem is magnified. As a matter of fact, 50% of all companies report lost data annually. Having your resources completely or partially managed by professional IT providers in secure spaces certainly mitigates the risk and gives you better resources to address these challenges. That scary cloud is now being downgraded to mildly threatening.
Next, you need to address the mobility of today's workforce and rapid exchange of information on a global scale. Workers are doing business in airports, on trains, and from home and remote locations. And it's not a fad or trend. As computers become more powerful and mobile, the workforce does as well. In fact, the number of mobile workers in 2011 is growing faster than your typical zombie horde.
With traditional hardware and site-based solutions, this usually means you're investing a lot in security, VPNs, and remote access solutions. Not only do you have to engineer ways to get to your information, but now that you're inviting the connections, you have to protect it as well. That scary cloud has now become non-threatening, and dare we say it, possibly useful.
Finally, you should take a reasonable approach to implementing new technology. As services present themselves to your business, jump in and take them in reasonable, bite-sized chunks. Some examples: You've outgrown your small business exchange server, so make the switch to hosted exchange or Google Mail. Are your phones getting too expensive or needing to be in multiple sites? Switch to VoIP. Congratulations! You're in the cloud...tell all your friends...ooooh...ahhh!
Moving to the cloud doesn't have to be terrifying. like any other technology, it's an evolution.jpg)
of things designed to make business more agile and robust. By taking advantage of highly scalable and abundant resources you can avoid a technology nightmare and make your IT cloud move a positive business experience.