Cloud Computing

[elsoft]

Do you think cloud computing really helps small business owners.And how secure/reliable is the technology.Cloud seems to be a buzz word now a days in all tech. journals.Has anyone here adopted this technology in their business

[Spider]

I use Airset -- AirSet (http://www.airset.com)

If they are a good example of cloud computing, I can't say I see any great advantage for small businesses. I can see advantages for an organization that comprises of many people at diverse locations who need to use the same information and files.

I have often thought I might put my own stuff into a cloud but can never think of a good reason for doing so. It has proved useful for our Toastmaster's district, of which I am a part, and all sorts of communication is going on between members that I am now aware of and can do my bit much more efficiently.

It is going to depend on how you intend to use it, I suppose.

[billbenson]

My understanding of cloud computing is that all the applications, storage of data etc are on the cloud. Your computer would only really contain what is required to access the cloud. This would be completely impracticable today because the Internet is to slow. Even if the internet was fast enough, I don't see this people trusting the "cloud" with important data. Also people configure their software and computers completely differently to suit their needs. I see cloud computing as something in the distant future, but a lot has to happen to make it viable now. In a LAN environment I can see companies going to it though.

[elsoft]

As far as the technological infrastructure for the small businesses is considered,I feel cloud computing is the future,as the cost savings and the infrastructure management for a start up really simplified.But for the personal space on the internet,I agree with you regarding the security and privacy.

[J from Michigan]

I like the sound of it, but I really like the idea of ownership of my software...

[kalven]

It's been more than 3 months and I am using cloud computing solutions for my small business. Cloud computing is helping me in many ways like it gives greater level of security, employees are able to access documents and email even if they are away from office, cost effective, it uses less energy than traditional data centers and many more.

[craigb]

It’s kind of like buying the first model car I think. Sure a lot of people want to be driving the newest and latest thing, but the first model usually has a lot of hidden bugs to it that get worked out as production goes along. Security is something that keeps coming up in a lot of discussion regarding cloud service and that gets a lot of small business attention because lost customer information is just something we can’t afford to freely give up. But I am sure that as time goes on and the bugs get stomped out it will be worth the investment.

[AmyAllen]

I don't think "cloud computing" is as far-off and futuristic an idea as you guys might be thinking. For example, if you have a Gmail account, all of that information is stored "in the cloud", meaning you can access it from anywhere or any device.

We used Google Apps at the last start-up non-profit I worked for. We actually transitioned from our parent organization's tech to Google Apps/ Cloud computing. We moved to Google Apps in 2008 and used it for 2 years while I was there without any problems. They still use it today at that organization.

Google's server was a lot more reliable. We could access all of our non-profits stored files, data, email and calendars from any location at any time. We were located in New Orleans, and didn't have to worry about losing our information being lost to flooding or disaster (vs. using a local server).

We could add and remove new users very easily from the admin panel, or view our employees email accounts if needed. Also, Google Apps allowed us to use our own domain name, so our email addresses still had "amy@organization-name.org" but we used the Gmail interface.

I found it to be a great, free solution for all of our needs (free at the time). Also, using Google Apps meant almost no time spent training new employees on our tech.

Comparatively, my day job now uses their own server/ Outlook. The server seems to be down at least once a week; I can only access my account from work, and the software is a lot less user-friendly. I'm sure they pay a lot more for it as well.

[gbiz1]

I use Google Apps too. It's a great tool and it's free

[seolman]

The closest I've come to cloud computing is using my laptop on a flight.

[Harold Mansfield]

I haven't seen the need to do anything specific with cloud computing. It solves a problem that I don't have. I still prefer to keep my important stuff where I can get to it at all times. I love the internet, but I'm not comfortable depending on it to access my own stuff.

[joaoandre]

For me the downside is that it takes control away from you. The cloud has your apps, your data, you no longer control or physically "own" any of that.

[MyITGuy]

Do you think cloud computing really helps small business owners.And how secure/reliable is the technology.Cloud seems to be a buzz word now a days in all tech. journals.Has anyone here adopted this technology in their business

The original post is a bit dated, but since there have been recent responses I'll post my thoughts =D

As a provider of "Cloud/Hosted" services, there are definitely advantages to utilizing cloud infrastructure rather than bringing it in-house.

Below are a few examples I have provided, based on a single service I provide (Exchange E-Mail Hosting):

Cost - To create your own exchange environment for say 25 users, you would be spending at least $5,500 upfront to implement the new hardware, software and licensing for a single server with no redundancy at all. This does not include anti-spam/anti-virus scanning, the admin overhead to maintain this server, or a backup solution.

Compare the price above with an average price of $8.95 per mailbox and you can get 25 months of service for the same price, which is pretty close to the standard 36 month server replacement and software upgrade timeline. Additionally, for this same price you get full redundancy, anti-spam/anti-virus and your not spending any extra to keep the server up to date/backed up

Redundancy - Most small businesses only have a single location, with a single power and internet feed. Any minor outage with these services means your server isn't functioning (I.E. You can't send/receive e-mail if your internet or power connection is down). With a cloud service, you can still send/receive e-mail via your smartphone, or can hop on down to any coffee shop to continue your business.

Additionally, if your building were to get flooded, catch on fire, or your hardware just fails. Your down until you get it replaced which could take days/weeks or months (I.E. I just loaned a server to a client whose server crashed because they can't get a replacement server until mid-june at the earliest). With a cloud/hosted service, every item is redundant with servers located in several geographic areas, with several power and internet feeds, meaning if one of our data centers were to be wiped off the map, you would barely notice an issue as our secondary sites would pick up the slack almost immediately.

Security - As a small/medium business, security may not be the most important thing to you. So your server room that contains your important e-mails could most likely be accessed by any passerby that has access to your office.

With a cloud/hosted service, security is on of our primary concerns. We are so strict that only 1 person at a time can be on the data center floor at any given time, and they have to pass through several forms of security before getting there (Security guards, key/locks/biometrics and etc).


So the benefits to cloud/hosted services are:
no capital costs, these expenses are moved to operating expenses.
You don't need to rely on your in-house staff to maintain the hardware/services
More secure/redundant than you could setup yourselves
No need to buy new hardware/software/licenses every X years as this is done for you via the service provider.

The cons:
You loose "full control" of the service. But how would this really impact you?
If you don't have a timeline to replace your hardware/software every X years, then cloud/hosted services can be more expensive, but you place your server reliability at risk

[MyITGuy]

I haven't seen the need to do anything specific with cloud computing. It solves a problem that I don't have. I still prefer to keep my important stuff where I can get to it at all times. I love the internet, but I'm not comfortable depending on it to access my own stuff.

Just out of curiosity, what plans do you have in place if your laptop/computer were to crash, get lost/stolen or etc?
If your home or business were to flood or catch on fire (Destroying or preventing access to physical backup media or paper documents).
If your town/state had a disaster such as a hurricane, flood, earthquake, nuclear disaster (Destroying or preventing access to physical backup media or paper documents that you had stored elsewhere if items 1 & 2 were to occur)

[nlconsulting]

I agree with MyITGuy on this one. Cloud may not be for everyone but I spent two years working in law firms where all client data was stored on site. One server that the small number of employees had access to and all relevant information for any software was stored there. The simple fact is that it works, we didn't need Cloud services... but if something were to happen to that building, to that computer, what would happen to the data? It's gone. Years of work suddenly erased.

Cloud offers a way to safely store and back up your data off site so that in the event of something going horribly awry you still have your information. Some people will always prefer the feeling of handling it yourself. There's a sense of security in knowing that you control your backups. Ultimately its a matter of preference and business style. I would heavily suggest it for a company who relies on data and information. More labor intensive industries may see less use from it.

[Dan Furman]

I agree with MyITGuy on this one. Cloud may not be for everyone but I spent two years working in law firms where all client data was stored on site. One server that the small number of employees had access to and all relevant information for any software was stored there. The simple fact is that it works, we didn't need Cloud services... but if something were to happen to that building, to that computer, what would happen to the data? It's gone. Years of work suddenly erased.

Cloud offers a way to safely store and back up your data off site so that in the event of something going horribly awry you still have your information. Some people will always prefer the feeling of handling it yourself. There's a sense of security in knowing that you control your backups. Ultimately its a matter of preference and business style. I would heavily suggest it for a company who relies on data and information. More labor intensive industries may see less use from it.

I *love* cloud backup. It doesn't mean that I still don't do a manual backup every so often, but for all of the reasons you mention, and for the price, I see it as a complete no-brainer.

[billbenson]

I agree with MyITGuy on this one. Cloud may not be for everyone but I spent two years working in law firms where all client data was stored on site. One server that the small number of employees had access to and all relevant information for any software was stored there. The simple fact is that it works, we didn't need Cloud services... but if something were to happen to that building, to that computer, what would happen to the data? It's gone. Years of work suddenly erased.

Cloud offers a way to safely store and back up your data off site so that in the event of something going horribly awry you still have your information. Some people will always prefer the feeling of handling it yourself. There's a sense of security in knowing that you control your backups. Ultimately its a matter of preference and business style. I would heavily suggest it for a company who relies on data and information. More labor intensive industries may see less use from it.

To me thats not cloud computing, its using a web based backup system. Cloud computing, at least by my definition, is where all applications and data reside on the cloud and the user is effectively using a terminal. I see this as great for companies who want control of what the computer users are doing. It keeps them from installing whatever they want on their computers including virus, messaging programs etc.

I don't see cloud computing as replacing pc's. I have an array of software on my pc. I doubt anybody on this forum wants the exact same programs I have. I further doubt that the cloud computer(s) in the sky will ever be able to house the applications that are unique to everybodys needs.

It does provide an easy solution for computer users with basic needs or the computer illiterate. The thing is, the computer illiterate is a shrinking population. High School kids are now taking laptops to school. The elderly that have difficulty learning pc's are dying off.

In short, I think it will thrive in private networks and have a small market in the public sector. I don't see pc's running applications customized by the user going away though.

[Spider]

As I remarked earlier in this thread, my Toastmaster District (the whole of Houston and environs) are using cloud computing. It is very effective enabling people spread over a 2,000 sq.mile area to communicate and function, using common files and data, as if we were housed in a single office. The most recent district 2-day conference, with 35 people on the organizing committee, was brought to fruition with great effectiveness using half the face-to-face meetings previously needed. Had we been a for-profit organization, I can see this having saved $100,000 in personnel time and facilities costs.

Data storage would be a minor consideration for us - the benefit has been in the effectiveness of people from a wide area working together and using, operating and updating the same files to accomplish a shared deliverable.

Large companies will no doubt host their own cloud but the principle will be the same - many people, far apart, working together on common, cloud-based files. Even small companies who collaborate with other companies in a relatively limited area will see great benefit from this interactivity over the internet.

[billbenson]

Do the Toastmasters have their applications (programs -word - excel etc)used for toastmasters on their computer or is everything on the cloud? A true cloud has everything on the cloud and no programs on the local computers which I doubt is the case with toastmasters.

[Harold Mansfield]

Just out of curiosity, what plans do you have in place if your laptop/computer were to crash, get lost/stolen or etc?
If your home or business were to flood or catch on fire (Destroying or preventing access to physical backup media or paper documents).
If your town/state had a disaster such as a hurricane, flood, earthquake, nuclear disaster (Destroying or preventing access to physical backup media or paper documents that you had stored elsewhere if items 1 & 2 were to occur)

Well, most of what I do is for other people so I can always access their files and accounts from any computer.
Never had a crash, but I do have a back up.

Fire? I'm pretty much screwed as far as my computer goes, but technically I could still work from another.

Natural disaster? Earthquake is pretty much the only possibility where I live and that hasn't happened yet.
Nuclear disaster? I think we'd all have better things to worry about.

I understand your logic, but storing them with an online service doesn't mean that that company and it's servers are vulnerable to the exact same thing.
To me the danger in relying solely on an online back up service is if something happens to them or you can't get internet service for whatever reason, you are screwed.

[Spider]

Do the Toastmasters have their applications (programs -word - excel etc)used for toastmasters on their computer or is everything on the cloud? A true cloud has everything on the cloud and no programs on the local computers which I doubt is the case with toastmasters."True" cloud? I would suggest that "cloud" computing is a concept, Bill, rather than a rigid set of rules. In our case, I access the cloud server with my internet browser (I use MSIE, as you know). The file to be worked on is opened - ie. downloaded into my browser, I work on the file and save it. It is saved on the cloud server. When I close my browser, the file is closed, too, and I am logged out of the cloud. There is no copy of the file on my computer, as far as I am aware. (Maybe as a temp file but not as a working file.)

That process seems to say to me that the application supporting that file is also on the cloud server. I can (and have) copied a file - straight right click - copy - paste to different application for a different purpose (a section of an Excel file copied and pasted to a separate (off-cloud) e-mail application for bulk e-mailing.)

So, to answer your question - it appears to me that the applcations are on the cloud server and the work and 'save' steps are all performed 'on the cloud.'


ADDED - In case you are interested, we use Airset (http://airset.com)

[billbenson]

That process seems to say to me that the application supporting that file is also on the cloud server. I can (and have) copied a file - straight right click - copy - paste to different application for a different purpose (a section of an Excel file copied and pasted to a separate (off-cloud) e-mail application for bulk e-mailing.)

So, to answer your question - it appears to me that the applcations are on the cloud server and the work and 'save' steps are all performed 'on the cloud.'


Per Wikipedia you are kinda correct. Data is on the cloud and applications may or may not be on the cloud. Data is accessable from any computer. Of course if the data is stored on the cloud from an abstract program you have on your pc, you only have access to your files. The local computer will still need to have that software you used or the cloud computer will need it. It sounds to me just like you have a WAN using a central computer as a database. Same as corporations have been doing for years; just now to be cool they call it a cloud...

What you are doing with Toastmasters is depending on them to have adequate backup etc that data including whatever you do to be safe, backed up, and they will never loose it. You are putting your complete trust in them.

As an analogy, webmasters have important websites that they upload to their server (host). If they want 100% uptime, they use a good host / hosting package where the host uses multiple computers, possibly in multiple locations so if one computer has a problem it switches to the second so there is no downtime. That's nice. However I don't know any webmaster who doesn't keep a local backup of his "important" site. They don't trust the cloud! Dan, who said in this and other threads that he loves his online backup, also said that he still does his own periodic backups. That says to me that he thinks the backup is secure but there's that Murfey's law thing that makes him want an additional backup.

I need to travel and work in june. I am currently set up so I need to be on my computer and at my phone to work. I am currently modifying my scripts so they work online on my website instead of the local server on my pc. Thats kind of cloud concept as I can process quotes, orders etc from any computer. I'm just moving some databases and programs from my pc to my website.

So, I guess, if your interpretation of cloud computing is your files are accessible from anywhere. I would still suggest a local backup.

[C0ldf1re]

... Cloud offers a way to safely store and back up your data off site so that in the event of something going horribly awry you still have your information...

Some people have heard stories about webhosts losing clients' data. The data that I have in the cloud gets downloaded and backed-up to my local PC!