I Hate “Cloud Computing”
September 15, 2011 by Filip Tack · Leave a Comment
Ok, I stand accused! You will find the term “Cloud Computing” on our website and yes I used the phrase multiple times in our press releases. But, between you and I, I hate “Cloud Computing”. It is by far the worst name that could have been given to our line of business and I’m sorry for taking part in the hype – I really am! Please, let me quickly elaborate on this and then we can all move on, minding our cloud business. Call it therapy.
If I were to ask anyone in our business, what the three most important customer concerns are? I believe all the answers would be covered by three topics:
- Security: How well protected is customer data against disaster and hacking?
- Privacy: How well protected is a customer’s personal data from third-party access and (paid for) distribution? Surely a concern when dealing with free services!
- Continuity: What will happen when the service provider goes out of business?
That is the customer push-back we, as an industry, deal with and which we try to relieve by touting well-known references, strong SLA’s, escrows, privacy statements (which some of us need to change from time to time), and so on.
But surprisingly our industry seems to neglect what kind of suggestion “Cloud Computing” infuses with prospective customers. Just imagine you had to ensure your house or private belongings at “Nebulous Insurances Inc.” That doesn’t sound right?! Nevertheless, our entire industry is trying to convince customers to rely on something as intangible and perishable as a “Cloud”. Indeed, we don’t even bother to include the “Computing” anymore. It’s already taken for granted that we all say Cloud – capital “C” mind you. Cloud is sexy, Cloud is hot! And, if you don’t trust the “Cloud”, you can always revert to a “Private Cloud” – what on earth is up with that?! (Here’s what’s up with that)
You can rationalize, dismiss all of this if you wish, but brand building feasts of connotation, and I believe that the industry is setting a bad example here. Surely I get it, our industry wants to re-brand what once was, maybe even forget it completely!
I started my IT career in the late nineties. So I was around when “ASP” emerged. Not the web programming language, but the “Application Service Provider”, a.k.a. Utility Computing, On-demand Computing, Always-on Computing, One-to-many computing, the list goes on. A model – dare I say “paradigm” – wherein IT functionality was delivered on-demand via the Internet from a central infrastructure. Alas, the model was caught in the dotcom maelstrom. Hence away with “ASP”, a name I didn’t like either.
But “Utility Computing” I liked. Here was a phrase that covered the load. Software packages (e.g., SalesForce.com, our very own Nomadesk) and functional components (e.g., Amazon S3) from the proverbial tap, just like any telephone or electricity service. These had a pretty dependable ring, as long as you weren’t living in sunny CA.
I guess it can never be “Utility Computing” again. As a consequence my only solace lays in getting everyone on the “Cloud”, to the extent it becomes the mainstream and we can forget about the marketing blah blah all together.
Well, I’m glad I got this one out of my system… on to the next.
P.S. For the record, I very much believe in “Utility Computing”, Amazon Web Services (no “Cloud”) does very well according to this article. Also, Nomadesk is progressing quite nicely.
Moral Support for the “Wicked”
August 17, 2011 by Filip Tack · Leave a Comment
I always get edgy when the accidental “expert/consultant” starts dropping quotes my way. It makes me wonder why they can’t come up with their own brilliance. It’s especially irritating when you are actually paying for the advice – as you can imagine. Nonetheless, I’d like to share two quotes with you – mind you, at no cost. Because, I have found both these statements to be very helpful to persevere during my entrepreneurial career. They just might come in handy in yours too.
The first quote I would describe as help in maintaining your courage under fire – read it whenever you go meet a prospective investor. It’s from Walter Bagehot, and it goes a little something like this:
“One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea. It makes you think that after all, your favourite notions may be wrong, your firmest beliefs ill-founded. Naturally, therefore, common men hate a new idea, and are disposed more or less to ill-treat the original man who brings it.”
The second one, I would describe as help in maintaining your entrepreneurial “genome” (and pride) – use it word-for-word whenever you’re asked how it is to be an entrepreneur. It’s from Niccolò Machiavelli, and he’s no longer around to claim the royalties.
“Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage.”
Well, I could not have come up with better statements, no brilliance of my own here. Furthermore, may I suggest that for all other matters of life you regularly listen to Baz Luhreman’s Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen).
Take care.