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Tag Archives: Cloud computing
Big Data, Big Challenge, Big Opportunity
Big data is a hot topic. Everyone from world leaders, to CXOs, to analysts, to media and just about anyone connected to the technology industry is talking about the transformative powers of big data. It even made it onto the agenda of the 2012 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. If the hype is to be believed, it has the power to transform businesses, governments and even society itself. It has the power to bring new insights into just about everything and drive a new era of intelligent understanding.
Yet if there’s such potential here, why aren’t we seeing more progress? There can be no question that some companies do understand the opportunities. One need only look at Google or Facebook to realise how these companies are effectively mining their data to drive new business opportunities and further monetize their value proposition. But these companies are rare exceptions. As I highlighted in my previous couple of blog posts, many companies are still very sceptical about moving from traditional business models and reluctant to embrace new opportunities. Read more
Are Teens the Future of the Cloud?
Late last week, ComScore announced its annual US Digital Future in Focus report. While there were no major surprises here regarding digital use, there were a couple of figures that caught my attention. ComScore noted that web-based email usage among 12-17 year olds dropped in 2011 by 31%. This figure was even higher for 18-24 year olds with a decrease of 34%.
Think about that for a moment. Email usage among 18-24 year olds has dropped by over one third. I find this figure incredible. I’m sure these people aren’t communicating any less; in fact, I expect them to be communicating even more. They’re communicating through Twitter, Facebook, Path and the wealth of other social media tools designed purely to share and communicate. Read more
When Will the Corporate Cloud Reach Its Potential?
Earlier this week I had dinner with a group of senior IT managers. As you can imagine, it’s not possible to take these types of people to dinner without a little (or in this instance a lot) shoptalk entering the mix. However, there was one consistent theme during dinner and that was the migration of corporate IT to the cloud.
What amazed me during these discussions was the level of negativity from these senior managers; key decision makers who are spread across a range of industries. The appetite to start moving to the cloud, whether it is public or private, was low to say the least. The fear of seceding control, increased in security risks, possible impact of future regulations, growing trend of European nationalism and numerous other reasons were cited as strong prohibitors. Read more
Connected Anywhere
There will be few in the tech industry who missed Dropbox’s recent funding news. Its latest round of funding closed at $250 million with a market valuation of $4 billion. Although impressive, I was far more intrigued by Drew Houston’s, CEO, ambitions to integrate into our lives. Houston wants to create a world where our data is never far away. Indeed, Houston sees a future where Dropbox is integrated into just about everything, from cameras to televisions, from cars to refrigerators. Houston wants your data to follow you, wherever you are.
It’s tantalising to imagine such a reality. To have our photos, videos, music, documents and every other piece of important data close to our fingertips and accessible by any connected device. Dropbox is certainly not alone in its ambition to become the universal keeper and distributor of data though. One need only look at Apple’s iCloud or Google’s rumoured Drive (GDrive) to see this is a huge market and one where the Internet giants are keen to capitalize. There can be no question that part of the reason Dropbox is trying to make as much noise now is the threat from Apple and Google, especially on mobile devices. Read more
The Human Cloud and IT’s Arab Spring
I’m fascinated by the human cloud. I believe it represents a seismic shift in the way we work and in the very way we live. The notion that we can use the rapid advancements in global networks to build an online workforce not bound by office locations, able to work effectively from anywhere, at anytime, is tantalising. For many companies, the human cloud is already a critical part of business operations. Indeed, as the global recession continues to bite and the demand to find a greener existence deepens, the human cloud presents a unique and unchallenged opportunity.
However, there are still critical barriers to overcome before we can truly embrace the possibilities of a global human cloud. Some of these barriers are technological, while some are more ideological. In fact, it may well be the latter that are the most difficult to overcome. As the Economist highlighted in a recent article, we’re in the midst of an IT Arab Spring. Yet it’s not governments that are being overthrown here but the old guard of corporate IT. Read more
