Clouds
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 You've probably looked at clouds and imagined a
fuzzy bunny, fairy princess or Godzilla destroying Tokyo. Something
probably came to your work In-Basket that showed a crudely drawn
project plan with a cloud labeled "a miracle occurs". Clouds are
that place where we don't know what's going on and aren't expected
to care.
Clouds are commonly used in describing information
technology, especially as it pertains to the internet.
Your
office PC goes around and round the company network through Switches
and Servers past files, programs and printers then it spins out a
Router taking you to a website. What happens between your
office network and the website you're after is in the
Cloud.
The night we saw The
Warriors*, Billy gave the keys to his '69 Hurst Olds
Pace Car to Laura asking her to go for a six-pack. She said: "Square
key makes it go. Right?". Laura didn't need to understand
internal combustion engines or the lift and duration of a
cam-shaft. That's "in the Cloud", not Laura, the
technology. The square key makes it go. Makes it go for a
six-pack.
If you want a little, very little, insight into
what happens in the Cloud between you and that website you can run
this in under 12 seconds; Type "tracert www.cnci.us" (no
quotes) at the Command Prompt and press Enter. 12 seconds is about
how long it takes to complete a 1/4 mile in a '69 Hurst
Olds.
You'll be shown the path that your request takes
getting to that site. The names will be cryptic but you'll figure
them out. City and state names will be there, provider, and cutesy
IT geek stuff. Don't be surprised if getting to your own
company's website or email takes you to Texas and back. You can do
this for most any website, except some porn ones. Whole different
article.
Recently something called On-Demand, aka Software as
a Service, aka Cloud Based computing has been taking off.
Instead of owning and installing software on your PC you rent it,
and its all on on the web, in the Cloud.
You have, in the
office and at home, software on your PC. email for example. Clients
have the ability to use email from any PC in the world with internet
access. Webmail, and it has an address book, spellcheck, and
all the tools you need. So you really don't need email software on your PC at
all. I prefer it, and you may too, but email is in the Cloud.
Clients also connect remotely to their office PCs. From home
offices and on the road. They use all the software on their
office PC without having to buy it for their home PC. What if
you put all that software up in the Cloud too?
Right
now, Cloud Based Calendars are gaining popularity. Why hire three IT
guys to manage an expensive Exchange Server or buy a cheesy Outlook
Add-On to share calendars? You can do it all in the Cloud,
from anywhere.
You can have Cloud Based email and calendar
right now. I know you can because we offer it. But soon, you'll be
able to have Word, Excel, PowerPoint, whatever you want, Cloud
Based. Hardware vendors, Dell, HP, CNCI, are offering new PCs
perfect for Cloud Based computing.
Mini-Book PCs that
are 9" x 7' x 2" in size, weigh 2.5 lbs,, and have a
30GB hard disk but no floppy (Google "floppy disk") or CD/DVD. if
you need more than 30GB it has USB ports you can attach drives to.
Your email, calendar, and software is in the Cloud.
Music and movies are in the Cloud, or, if you have to, a download
from the Cloud. Any software you would need to buy is a
download from the Cloud. No need for CD drives. Very little need for
an internal hard drive.
PCs so cheap you'll actually be able
to use and enjoy them. Cheaper than my cell phone.
Sales
Guy: "Did you want fries or a tacky nylon computer accessory
carry case with that?"
You: "No, thank you, I'll just throw it away when it gets
dirty."
I apologize, but nylon computer accessory carry bags
belong on the short bus, not the commuter train. 2 1/2 lbs,
the case would add a pound, carry it like a portfolio. If you
need to have a case look into Halliburton Zero. Zeroes are cool.
People always think 'Drugs or money?' when they see one. Except
Nancy, who thinks diamonds.
All the alarms, sirens, and
lights went off when you read cell
phone didn't they? Oh no, my cell bill is
ridiculous! Sure, the phone was free but now I've got a 2 year
contract with Satan. "Take it easy Boppers." Lynne Thigpen (the DJ) - The Warriors**,
1979.
Cloud Based webmail, calendar and storage
space is about $5 a person in an office. In Europe they have the
Full Monty, starting at $90 per person a month, they probably have
volume discounts, you get webmail, calendar, an office suite, and
space to store files.
Used to be you bought an expensive
computer and loaded generations of software on it. Now you transfer
expensive software from old PC to new. I think Cloud Based renting
looks good and will look better. Throw the old cheap PC away,
fire up the new cheap one, click-click, square key makes it
go.
You know, with nothing on a Mini-Book, who cares if you
lose it? Its not like losing your wallet or purse. "You can
get another one man." Deborah Van
Valkenburgh (Mercy) - The Warriors***, 1979.
Throw away PCs, Cloud Based computing, "Can you dig it?"
Roger Hill (Cyrus) - The
Warriors****, 1979", that's your call, and that's
Cocktail Talk. |
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Craig Phillips
CN Consulting, Inc.
* The
Warriors is arguably the best movie ever made.
** You probably
can't name the 9 Warriors.
*** Its harder than naming the
7 Dwarfs.
**** The Warriors has a good
soundtrack.
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