Font Size:
The emergence of Cloud Computing
Last modified: 2009-11-24
Abstract
In 1891, George Westinghouse, together with the help of Nicolas Tesla, built a power station at Niagara Falls with three generators supplying electricity to a nearby aluminum smelter in Niagara as well as the town
of Buffalo 22km away. This was a landmark event in the history of the electricity industry for two reasons. Firstly, it was one of the first Alternating Current (AC) systems in operation. Secondly, it was one of the first systems where electricity was distributed as a utility. Before these events, factories usually had some type of electric generator next to the factory that produced the electricity used at the factory. The reason that the electric generator had to be close to the factory was because the electricity was transmitted in direct current, which limited the distance that the electricity could travel through the distribution wires. It is in fact the discovery and development of alternating current that eventually enabled the distribution of electricity over wide geographical distances and the provision of electricity as a utility. During the past 14 years a similar change has taken place in the IT environment. The current state of affairs in terms of computing
infrastructure and platforms is that corporate entities own and usually maintain their own computer infrastructure that service the IT needs of the entity. This has the result that most companies employ multitudes of IT personnel to maintain the resident IT systems and infrastructure. The invention of the web is changing the face of the IT landscape in a similar way that the invention of alternating current changed the
electrical industry. Many may believe that distributed systems and global communication is the height of web-enablement, but these technologies are merely paving the way for a technology much greater and broader. This new technology is known as Cloud Computing and it has taken the world by storm. Because it is a young technology, it is still in a state of adolescence where no two opinions of what it is and what it can be used for, are the same. This article will discuss the various facets of cloud computing, what it is and what it isn't. It will look at the history thereof and offer an idea of where it is heading into the future. It will also investigate the value proposition of cloud computing for IT professionals and business owners alike.
of Buffalo 22km away. This was a landmark event in the history of the electricity industry for two reasons. Firstly, it was one of the first Alternating Current (AC) systems in operation. Secondly, it was one of the first systems where electricity was distributed as a utility. Before these events, factories usually had some type of electric generator next to the factory that produced the electricity used at the factory. The reason that the electric generator had to be close to the factory was because the electricity was transmitted in direct current, which limited the distance that the electricity could travel through the distribution wires. It is in fact the discovery and development of alternating current that eventually enabled the distribution of electricity over wide geographical distances and the provision of electricity as a utility. During the past 14 years a similar change has taken place in the IT environment. The current state of affairs in terms of computing
infrastructure and platforms is that corporate entities own and usually maintain their own computer infrastructure that service the IT needs of the entity. This has the result that most companies employ multitudes of IT personnel to maintain the resident IT systems and infrastructure. The invention of the web is changing the face of the IT landscape in a similar way that the invention of alternating current changed the
electrical industry. Many may believe that distributed systems and global communication is the height of web-enablement, but these technologies are merely paving the way for a technology much greater and broader. This new technology is known as Cloud Computing and it has taken the world by storm. Because it is a young technology, it is still in a state of adolescence where no two opinions of what it is and what it can be used for, are the same. This article will discuss the various facets of cloud computing, what it is and what it isn't. It will look at the history thereof and offer an idea of where it is heading into the future. It will also investigate the value proposition of cloud computing for IT professionals and business owners alike.
Full Text:
PDF