Pros and Cons of Cloud Computing

As reported on Friday, cloud computing (“The Cloud”) has become a major buzzword lately. This trend in technology seems to be the way of the future, but not without some major concerns. Listed below are the top advantages and disadvantage of cloud computing, as presented by various sources and experts. 

Cloud Computing Benefits:

1. Flexibility and Mobility

The ability to access and share your data anywhere there’s an Internet connection. Microsoft is currently beta testing its Office products as web apps and calling it, Office365.

 Meanwhile, Google just previewed its new cloud-based computer operating system, Chrome OS. As reported by the Los Angeles Times on Christmas Day:

Because all the applications used to do work or play on a computer — whether for word processing, playing a game or photo editing — are not stored on the machine in this type of system, they are accessed only online. This makes the system speedy, at least for the most part, and eliminates the need for the user to install updates.

…which brings us to the next point

2. No More Updating Version 5.1 to Version 5.1.1

Not only are you free from having to run specific software, you no longer have to fret (if you ever did) about having the most updated version of it. Since applications are centrally-hosted and remotely located, updates are installed globally as opposed to individual systems. 

3. Digital Right Management  

 In spite of prevailing security concerns (see below), cloud computing supposedly makes it easier to manage rights to software applications or files by simply barring access to content you mark as “private”. (source: IT Business Edge)  

4. Reduce Environmental Impact

Based on a Pike Research study released in early December 2010, the rise of cloud computing could help reduce the IT industry’s  massive carbon footprint, which is estimated to account for 2 percent of the world’s total carbon emissions. They calculate that the adoption of cloud computing could lead to a 38 percent reduction in energy usage in the world’s data centers by 2020. (source: The Independant, UK)

5. Cost Savings 

James Hamilton, Vice President and Distinguished Engineer of Amazon Web Services, knows a thing or two about overseeing large-scale data centers. In a presentation given this past April, he made a case for how large scale providers have a huge advantage over individual servers or IT teams in terms of operating costs, scalability, and flexibility. An in depth analysis can be found on CNET News.

Cloud Computing Disadvantages:

1. No WiFi, No Luck

Without an Internet connection, you can’t access your files or applications. Sorry. 

2. Security

A system is only as secure as the people who have access to it. At the height of the WikiLeaks controversy, in which one of the world’s (supposedly) most secure cloud computing system , SIPRNet, was so easily breached, it’s understandable why users are not ready to trust a third-party with their most sensitive data. 

3. Rights and Legal Issues 

Wikileaks also presented another huge concern about cloud computing, legality. In order words, who really owns and therefore has rights to your property? 

Towards the end of the year, Amazon decided to close WikiLeaks’ presence on their site, “either because WikiLeaks failed to comply with Amazon’s user terms or because of pressure from U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman”. (source: Wall Street Journal)

Either way, it questions customers’ rights should a hosting service decided to sever a relationship. Furthermore, how can the data be reclaimed, if at all? 

Richard Stallman, founder of the GNU Project and Free Software Foundation, refers to cloud computin as “careless computing”. He warns against companies pushing people to store their data in a nebulous “cloud” rather than on their personally-controlled machines, citing the follow: 

In the US, you even lose legal rights if you store your data in a company’s machines instead of your own. The police need to present you with a search warrant to get your data from you; but if they are stored in a company’s server, the police can get it without showing you anything. They may not even have to give the company a search warrant. (source: The Guardian, UK)

4. Performance 

There are some lingering worries over performance, particularly as more and more companies begin offering cloud-based services and put a strain on networks. In response, ReadWriteCloud compiled a list of Four Tools for Assessing Cloud Performance. 

5. Sustainability

Following a round of layoffs at Yahoo! earlier this month, rumors abounded about the closing of products like MyBlogLog, Yahoo! Picks,  Alta Vista, Yahoo! Bookmarks, Yahoo! Buzz, and Delicious. Of these, people seems most rattled by the possible “sunsetting” of Delicious, the social bookmarking service. In response, the company clarified on its blog that they are NOT shutting down the site, but instead are looking for buyer for it.  (sources: TechCrunch and All Things Digital)

While this is good news for the time being, it does provide a valuable lesson on the danger of cloud-based services closing with little to no warning. What would have happened to people’s links had Yahoo! decided to closed down rather than sell Delicious?