Cloud

[TeknoBug]

There is a growing number of cloud storage and cloud based programs/apps lately and I'm not liking it.

The problem is with cloud is that more and more ISP's are adding a bandwidth cap, many already has it (mine has 300GB cap), it's very easy to rack up tons of GB's if you watch Netflix often, download games on Steam or Torrent or etc. Then there are programs that lets you store saves and files via cloud, there are even a few games that are cloud based now (like SimCity). My biggest concern beside ISP capping, is security, bandwidth (I only have a 450Kbit upload) and worst of all, some programs charges you a monthly fee to use cloud-based programs (Office 365).

When I handle sensitive files for work, I stick them on an encrypted flash stick to transfer to another computer when needed, there's no way in hell I'm throwing it up on cloud or any kind of storage site.

I only hope hard drive storage won't become obsolete anytime soon, otherwise we'll probably even have games installed via cloud and launch them via cloud and security isn't going to get any better because hackers are always one step right behind security.

 

[smakme7757]

Keep in mind that "The Cloud" is just a marketing term for renting something someone else owns. For example, renting storage or renting computing power. It's always been there, just that companies never thought about renting their unused capacity until a few years ago.

The Cloud is the next big thing (or so they want you to believe) and people think it's a revolution. It has its uses. It's definitely useful in certain situations to rent rather than to buy. It's primary focus is being able to scale in and out according to your needs at any given time.

Example. Rent 10GB today, rent 5GB tomorrow and then rent 2TB when the need arises. In some cases it's cheaper than buying all the hardware you need, the expertise to run it and then selling hardware when you don't need it.

That's what cloud computing is. However there is a misconception that people feel like they need it. Like they have to use it or they are missing out on something big.

It's a service, you use it if you need it. End of story. If it saves you time or money or both then go for it. If not, do without.

With that being said it will be a very long time until the entire world can have everything in a foreign Datacenter. The current state of the internet doesn't provide the capacity to enough of the world to do away with local storage. So i think you can rest easy. Local storage isn't going anywhere.

 

[Fardringle]

I like using online backup for files that I want to keep a copy of (like photos and documents) but wouldn't use it for anything that is confidential or that includes financial information simply because there's no way to know for sure that someone else won't be able to access and misuse that information.

 

[Mushkins]

Ignore the "cloud" buzzword, Cloud-based services have real benefits when applied properly, as well as real drawbacks to consider.

Lets use your example of Office 365 to illustrate, $15 a month per user gets you:

The entire professional-level Office suite.
A hosted company sharepoint.
Hosted Exchange-based email.
Hosted Microsoft Lync.
Domain registration and website hosting.
Business level professional support for all of these products.

The estimated upfront cost of all of that for a 50 person business is roughly $45,000 in hardware, software, and licensing, before cost of IT support is even factored in. Or you could spend $750 a month on it ($9000/year). By the time you hit the break even point, it's time to buy new servers, the next version of all those software packages, and the appropriate licensing and eat another $45,000 + support costs. Why *wouldn't* a 50 person business want to roll that massive headache into a $750/mo payment to just have it taken care of. Not only are you saving money and creating a more predictable and manageable smaller payment schedule, you're bringing tools like Lync and Sharepoint into a business environment where they otherwise would have been cost prohibitive to even consider deploying. Plus all that money you're not dumping into upfront IT costs is money you're keeping in your business to be used to make *more money*. I'd move my whole company to Office 365 instead of enterprise or individual licensing in a heartbeat if our key business software supported Office 2013, i'm literally counting the days.

It even makes sense for home users, you get five copies of the Professional office suite for $10/mo ($120/year) instead of an upfront cost of nearly $400 *each*. The subscription model is giving you more for considerably less.

These would be proper applications of using cloud/hosted solutions on a subscription model. There's plenty of people cashing in on the buzzword to sell you stuff you don't need though 😛