Posts Tagged ‘cloud computing’

The man who might teach Google about private and secure cloud computing

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Private PlanetThere are a lot of quite serious and important security and privacy concerns surrounding our current notion of the concept of ‘cloud computing’ – which is generally understood to be computing infrastructure and services offered to domestic and business users through data centres that are physically located and based somewhere outside of our  homes or offices.

One person who has been talking a lot about these issues of late – and who also hosted a high-profile talk on this vitally important matter at Mobile World Congress this week – is CEO and Founder of Private Planet, Dr Janko Mrsic-Flagel, whose company has been developing some very elegant solutions for managing your ‘digital self’ and your digital lifestyle in the cloud.

“Cloud computing is basically about making the systems inside enterprises or homes thinner,” explains Mrsic-Flagel. “However, imagine that every person had their own personal cloud computer. What would that do for that individual?”

One thing it would mean is that all of your various devices – your mobiles, your tablet, your netbook, your desktop, your TV and so on – could be connected through that cloud computer. “All your devices can synchronize through your personal cloud computer,” he says. “All your devices can know about each other.”

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Software as a Service

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

cloud-computingDay Two of Technology World 09 saw a seminar chaired by David Terrar, Chief Executive Officer of D2C, discuss the benefits of implementing the Software as a Service business model.

Despite advances in cloud computing, there is still a psychological barrier between the Software as a Service model and UK businesses. Many companies still cling to an “on premises” approach to both storage and applications despite the many benefits offered by remote options. However, as Nigel Hartnell, director of FFastFill PLC warns “there isn’t going to be another model for ten or fifteen years for mainstream applications ” . It is an approach UK business must be ready to adopt if they are to keep costs down and compete worldwide.

Software as a Service providers offer remote hosting and management of software and data. They remove the need for costly servers, time consuming installations and pricey IT maintenance. With applications in the Software as a Service model being web-based, employees can easily access all the data and tools they use in the office from anywhere around the globe. And with data stored on multiple servers around the world, information is kept very safe in regards to disaster recovery.

Using the Software as a Service model also offers incredibly attractive pricing options. Often the price of ownership is lower than a traditional installation in terms of long-term maintenance and development costs. With payment for the software usually in the form of subscriptions, the model offers flexibility, as the long-term commitment made to expensive installed software does not apply.

With so many potential benefits on offer, the advantages of adopting the Software as a Service business model cannot be denied. It can push costs down and drive productivity up for UK businesses, and should be seriously considered by any companies looking to cost-effectively expand.

Image Credit: Examiner