This week, for the 1%, I want you to read the blog post entitled `Ultra Lean Government – Open source best practices and the Cloud` found at this source.
http://www.sys-con.com/node/1608498
LINK
The Cloud represents a major change in how we interact with software such as ArcGIS or MapInfo. After reading this article please give your thoughts on the benefits and challenges represented by a mass-migration to cloud computing. With your work on Microsoft Azure you are able to offer first-hand comments on cloud computing!
Please make sure you post your comments by Sunday this week (27th) - posts after Sunday will not receive the 1% mark.
Paul
Like the article mentions there are numerous benefits to cloud computing that I would have to agree on. It is faster, you can access the information anywhere and it can mean that there is less storage space waste. I think that this mass migration to cloud computing is good and means that there is always a back up on the cloud.
ReplyDeleteIn addition I would have to agree that having open source or community cloud networks is essential for quickly developing new and innovative packages for citizens. What could take large organisations months to do could be completed relatively quickly by numerous people through open source networks. However one that thing is important to remember is that while it may be quicker there could be some flaws as the larger organisations have standards that may not be brought through in by open source developers. For this to really take full effect there would need to be standards brought in for and followed by open source developers.
I think cloud computing is very important step in the right direction to storage and access of information. This will have huge benefits to businesses especially small business who will be able to offer its customers on demand information, saves money on hardware etc. All citizens would benefit one way or the other, a good example being if we loose our phone or laptop all our personal information wont be lost but will be stored in a cloud available for recovery which could save huge amounts of money for businesses in an event of a system failure.
ReplyDeleteNo matter how good is a server hardware, eventually becomes obsolete and in that moment a company needs to determine if migration to cloud computing would be beneficial for its business. Some of the migration questions would be technical and some questions will involve budgetary issues due to cost of infrastructures. Open source cloud computing could be a good alternative because there is no need to buy and install expensive software as it is already installed online, there is no longer needing specialist IT for maintenance and upgrade software. Also a wider number and variety of people using it, and often a vibrant community behind the software that acts as a support system, these characteristics make it grow faster and in most cases building large databases are useful for users.
ReplyDeleteI consider a very interesting project the Open Government Cloud. This would allow sharing information with the public, increasing the trust and transparency. Also, between communities, with health care, actions…purposes.
Personally I see more advantages that disadvantages. I use some of these open clouds to save documents, pictures or videos because I know I can get them when I need them. At work we use them as well for project sharing, transfer documents or keep files in the cloud for anyone who could need them. Our last incorporation to a cloud was with brand new GPS’s, workers are able to send through the cloud their captures/drawings straight to HQ and we return via cloud the results.
Before reading the article I was already convinced that cloud computing is a good idea. I use Dropbox and more often Google Drive to save a lot of files and to be able to use them on my own laptop or a university computer. It has saved me many hours of sending everything by email or on a small USB pen. Although everything is always saved to an external hard drive too just in case! Cloud computing has also proved useful in a group project this year as we could use Google Docs to create a presentation and each of us could work on the project at the same time and see the updates in real time. Using Microsoft Azure has been a valuable experience throughout this module. As I have a Mac laptop I was able to see huge difference between what I usually see on my screen to what was shown on the virtual machine but it was good to know that this wasn’t taking up hard disk space on my own laptop. Thankfully my aging Mac didn’t have a breakdown either!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article and doing a little more research, I realise that there are additional factors to take into consideration when using cloud computing, especially for business and the government.
As the others have also mentioned, cloud computing does bring many benefits. It is more cost efficient that traditional methods of data storage, back-up and recovery of data is much simpler, and geographic location does not create any barriers providing that you have an internet connection. You are not restricted the amount of storage space on your computer and as this article says, cloud computing will enable agencies to work more efficiently and improve service to citizens.
Alongside these benefits, there are also challenges to introducing cloud computing to a business. As with anything IT related, there can be technical problems no matter how great something may appear to be. You also need to have an internet connection. In this day and age that shouldn’t be too difficult but there may be times when you don’t have access to any of your work. People tend to worry about security issues when using a cloud platform and even though this should always be a concern, especially when dealing with important documents, there are also similar issues with other forms of data storage. The solution to that challenge is to use a reliable service provider and to ensure confidential or private documents are not stored online.
Overall, I think it’s definitely a good way to store data, to share and collaborate on projects and to increase the efficiency of a business.
The Cloud has certainly rewritten the script when it comes to how we store, access, manipulate and share our data. No longer are businesses required to shell out for expensive computer servers which can only be accesses within the confines of a business premises. The cloud represents a huge leap forward in terms of giving people and corporations the flexibility to do their business how and where they wish at a reasonable price.
ReplyDeleteI read a quote recently that said “cloud computing is still as much a research topic, as it is a market offering” and I think that’s a really insightful perspective as, in my view, it has some significant issues yet to work through if it’s to reach its full potential as an alternative space to do your computing.
For example, how can we prevent any information we store on the cloud from being hacked or accidently being accesses through data leakage to another business who happens to share the same server. Does the risk of being held to bit-coin ransom outweigh the technological benefits and cost savings to small business?
Rather worryingly from a GIS perspective is the idea of who actually owns the data stored on the Cloud. This isn’t always clear and appears to be swept under the carpet by some vendors who avoid the subject in the terms and conditions.
Having said this, I’m hopeful that as the importance of the Cloud increases, especially in economically challenging times, these issues will be resolved as the potential benefits of Cloud computing are huge.
This movement towards sharing and storing data on the cloud has many benefits, one of which is that there are no restrictions on the size of the data storage. Also cloud based computing can be accessed from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection. In addition one of the big advantageous of cloud based technology is that there are limited expenses due to it cutting out hardware costs.
ReplyDeleteHowever there are also a few challenges with cloud computing mainly due to the fear that people have with regards to the security of their data. In addition tight regulations in some countries which govern where and how data is stored is restricting the implementation of cloud computing for some organizations.
Although on the whole cloud computing seems to be the most efficient way forward for businesses in terms of saving money and increasing their competitiveness.
The Cloud has the potential to significantly benefit organisations as well as individual users. For the individual, being able to store your files in the cloud means they are no longer limited by the capacity of their hard drives. This is particularly useful for users of memory intensive data and software such as ArcGIS. These days most people own or use more than one internet capable device so the ability to have all your files accessible on all your devices is a big advantage of Cloud computing.
ReplyDeleteFor organisations, the Cloud can be a very powerful tool which may increase efficiency and reduce costs. Purchasing, storing and maintaining servers on-site can be difficult and costly for a business. It is also fairly inflexible when computing requirements change. The Cloud eliminates the costs of local servers by storing data elsewhere which can be then accessed via the internet. The Cloud is also useful for growing businesses as they can easily purchase more storage to cope with increased data. Similarly, the Cloud reduces wasted storage capacity by allowing users to choose a plan that suits their requirements. In this way the Cloud offers much more flexibility for businesses with fluctuating demand for computing power.
Having all an organisation's data stored on the cloud also reduces risk of loss of information due to local server or machine malfunction, human error or natural disasters. However, as others have suggested, having everything accessible via the internet may not be fully secure. I do feel that, despite this one potential negative which can be resolved by vigilant service providers and careful management of important data, the Cloud is a very positive tool which represents the future of personal and business computing.
Cloud computing has become one of the most challenging GIS topics for the coming years. It’s because of the numerous advantages of accessing anywhere, anytime without having to install large number of software.
ReplyDeleteCloud will be accessed by user of different business sizes, having a positive impact on the budget side. The technology provides more flexibility, lower costs, greater scalability, ease of use and, if done correctly, increased security and disaster recovery. This applies equally to small and large companies - but there is no doubt that the latter moving to the cloud is more difficult. It's not really a question of whether companies should move to the cloud, but when. USB hard drive won’t be needed anymore! I’ll try to make the most of Microsoft Azure since it will be the perfect scenario of real Cloud training for the future.
Cloud computing has inherent advantages to consumers and businesses; online backup of data on servers which are updated to the latest technology more regularly than perhaps the average private or business user can afford. Data in the cloud becomes much more available to anyone who may use it (subject to relevant security procedures), preventing data from becoming hidden, which is especially relevant for government departments and public data which taxpayers may feel they have a right to view. Having cloud data and internet portals frees up staff time in answering freedom of information requests, which consequently saves money. Also, cloud data is an effective way of sharing data within a company, as many large companies have sites in different countries, and creating a network on which data can be shared becomes much easier when using cloud computing.
ReplyDeleteMicrosoft have seen the potential and value of the cloud for businesses, and with the release of Microsoft Azure, have created a user friendly interface which will allow the less tech savvy individuals in the business community to make use of this technology.
Apologies for the late entry into discussions, I have been somewhat unwell.
ReplyDeleteI guess I have yet to "warm" completely to cloud computing.
The Concept certainly has its advantages, such as the freedom from on-premises servers and access to "live" data from anywhere with an internet connection and on multiple devices, but as stated above, there is also the question of security. How safe is your data from hackers compared to when on your hard drive? How scrupulous is your service provider?
Maybe I am just being over cautious. Maybe I am being a little too "old school"...
As outlined by Rachel, I had made my mind up before reading the article that cloud computing is an excellent idea, and it is something that I use constantly every day. On a personal level, it has eliminated the need of buying USB devices that can be costly, and in my case are often lost/damaged! Cloud computing also saves time by allowing users to access stored items from a variety of hardware including mobile phones.
ReplyDeleteI have never really given much thought to the idea of who can access the files I have saved on the cloud, but after previous modules and indeed a scout around it seems there are certain problems with regards to privacy of data, and interestingly, it seems to be very much up in the air over who actually owns any data that is stored. In saying this however, I do not store very important data such as personal information on the cloud, so this is perhaps a subconscious decision.
The pros of cloud computing far outweigh the cons and with this in mind, it is important that a way is found to resolve issues with privacy and end what feels like Stone Age ways people use to save everyday files! I do think that more can be done to reassure people that private information is safe and secure, so perhaps the first step is to ensure that all data, no matter how sensitive, is 100% safe.
Most, if not all, of the texts I have read recognize that the number of benefits associated with cloud computing far outweigh the cons. There are the obvious cost-savings such as no longer having to purchase and maintain on-premises servers, but also the flexibility of being able to scale up, or down, resources in-line with operational requirements by purchasing additional capability (available on Azure and Amazon), a particularly useful attribute for organisations such as those involved in emergency planning. This is especially so with the availability of SaaS, DaaS and PaaS, allowing greater flexibility in configuring systems to fit their needs. Indeed, the UK Government now adheres to a 'Cloud First' policy when replacing or upgrading digital systems or services.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the cloud offers a number of in-built security features, trust in its security appears to be its main disadvantage, particularly as data may be stored outside of the country in which it originated. This concern is understandable given the number of high-profile internet-based data leaks and hacks of trusted organisations, and the relative infancy of cloud computing. In this case, public trust in the cloud is only likely to increase with time, provided there are no similar headline-making security breaches.
After reading this article and other sources it is easy to see how a move to cloud computing would be beneficial. I like how the phrase elastic nature is included. This illustrates the level of flexibility cloud computing has to offer, which is perfect for the ever changing demands and ways in which business is done. However as this is the US government the cloud system used will be different to the one in which is available to the public. The private cloud models will share a lot of the same features but they will have to me more reliable and built for different purposes. These may be more expensive but will still be cheaper than the current server approach. Another issue especially for the US government would be security.
ReplyDeleteFrom a GIS perspective the benefits would be an improved relationship from departments to the public. For those with internet access, data and information should be more easily accessible. This approach will also save money and improve efficiency all round. The amount of data than can be saved online is another huge benefit and then that it can be accessed from anywhere. For a business trying to succeed now, this really needs to be a major consideration.
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ReplyDeleteThe benefits of cloud computing imply that it is bound to be the next (obvious) progression in IT. I didn't recognise the mass benefits of cloud computing until I began to read up on it more. As highlighted by the article, the cost savings on servers and storage capacity is huge. I agree with Connor in that new businesses trying to succeed should most definitely adopt a Cloud Computing approach. The ability to improve interoperability of data, and an improved quicker and cheaper service to citizens cannot be argued with. As Simon mentioned, the 'old schoolers' may not warm to the idea of cloud computing and stick with their hard-drive for some time yet, however, it is inevitable that the next generation coming up may not ever rely on hardware for data storage.
ReplyDeleteThe article is extremely enthusiastic in its vision of the uses of cloud computing, but it was worth reading the available links to get a fuller impression of the scale of change required to bring cloud infrastructure for computing into large organisations. The flexibility and savings assumed are definite benefits and this technology development has brought about major changes in how we can interact with both hardware and software.
ReplyDeleteBut while it offers such benefits as the outsourcing of IT and its maintenance at a lower cost than keeping these operations in-house; the ability to quickly up- or downscale operations as required; access to company data and services regardless of employee and/or client location. There are still issues of trust and concerns over data security and ownership. It is not always simple to access software as a service or to access virtual machines (as those of us who live in areas of poor internet-coverage can attest) and are yearly subscriptions the way we want to pay for software?
I think cloud-based computing has huge benefits for businesses and individuals alike. The ability to share and access data from anywhere in the world as information is always accessible to employees no matter what device they are using is the primary benefit in my opinion. cloud-computing can save business a huge amount of money as they only pay for the servers they need, but not only that it saves on time and inspires new ways of working. I believe that business and government departments should transfer to cloud-computing as quickly as possible to realize these benefits and not be left behind by not changing with the times. It is however something that needs to be carefully planned in order to streamline the process, especially for large organisations with reams of data, as the conversion can be complicated and may cost a lot to undertake. Security of data through cloud-computing is also a key consideration to make, especially of confidential data, and high-profile examples of data hacks is a major factor is deterring the use of cloud-computing.
ReplyDeleteSorry this post is late, although there are discrepancies between what the assignment overview section says and what the blog page says in terms of when this was supposed to be completed. As a result I think this should still be considered for the 1%.