Comments on: Dark Clouds Ahead? A Warning About Cloud Computing

By: simonstapleton

simonstapleton — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:49:31 +0000

@Josh – well it’s a great compliment to know it’s given you reason to think about the risks of Cloud Computing. Every instance and organization is different, of course, but whether we’re professionally responsible for infrastructure, or just have something to say about the matter, I think it’s good to get a different view.

Interestingly, nobody as yet has made a counter-argument.

I am sure there is one…

Thanks for your comment!

By: Josh

Josh — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:05:04 +0000

Hi Simon, hope you are well. This is a really interesting piece and does make me reassess my initial excitement about cloud computing.

I have read a lot of good pieces about the dangers of cloud computing over the past year or so but in 2009, which you yourself say will see more businesses turning to the money savings provided by the cloud, this post is a timely reminder of its potential pitfalls.

Of course the applications of the cloud are varied and in many cases provide new opportunities for communication and development adding value to some business services. Therefore one could argue that unlike outsourcing, companies can develop new expertise by engaging with these technologies.

By: simonstapleton

simonstapleton — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 09:41:43 +0000

@Eric – glad you liked the quote. I think this is truly the case. As Asif said, cloud is a ‘cleaner’ word for outsourcing, so it must be treated with the same management caution.

The questions you ask will be the key questions on cloud consumers over the next few years, I’ll bet. I do hope they’re asked before, rather than after, whole-scale infrastructure changes.

By: Asif Shah

Asif Shah — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:47:10 +0000

I agree with this Simon. We should treat Cloud the same as Outsourcing as that is what it really is. If we outsource a core activity then we can never expect to get it back and worse still we are then at the mercy of the vendor to continue core operations. Tread with caution, I say!

By: Eric D. Brown

Eric D. Brown — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:56:30 +0000

Simon – one of the best quotes I’ve read on the power (danger) of cloud computing:

“Once you source from the cloud, you will never regain it as a core competence.”

That is one concern I have as well. If you outsource all your email admin to google apps, what happens a few years down the road when you want to bring it back in? Can you bring it back in? Are the tools available to get your cloud email into a non-cloud system? Do you have the resources to get it back and manage it?

Great stuff!
PS – thanks for the link!