Why the Internet Cloud?

Or, why is adopting Internet Cloud technology simply the only logical choice for a business today?

I'm passionate about how the Internet Cloud is revolutionising our lives. But I still come across people who don't think they need to move their technology from managing it in-house to the Internet Cloud instead.

Please read on if you are unsure that the Internet Cloud is where businesses should be, or even if your just interested in reinforcing your own positive thoughts about the Internet Cloud that's fine too.

The Internet is quite simply one of the most fundamental developments that Mankind (and Womankind of course) has made. This may seem to some a bit of an excessive statement, but think about this for a moment.

Human history and evolution has been based on our ability to communicate, share, learn, and adapt. The evolution of spoken language gave us our first step, written language the next, then radio, and then television, then satellites. Each new form of communication has allowed us to communicate, share, learn, and adapt in ever faster ways. With the Internet we have now seen a more dramatic and faster leap forward than any of the previous human developments for communication.

What we used to do:

Younger generations now take it for granted that they can socialise, communicate, and access information on any subject instantly.  Those of us a wee bit older still remember the old days (10 years ago!) when  things were very different.

• We used to write letters that took days to be received and even more days to get a reply. 
• We used to access information at a library, from newspapers with information from yesterday, television/radio, or from a 10 year old encyclopedia we (or our parents) owned.  
• We used to have to leave our houses and join clubs to find like-minded people, who we then didn't speak to until the next time we went to our meeting places.
• Information exchange was of course slow, and restricted to what was selected to be shared with us (including propaganda) by the people who controlled our media. 

Things have now changed forever - adapt, evolve, or boil?

The Internet has now changed all of this and with continual developments in mobile technology and Social Media growth we're now making an even greater and faster leap forward in Mankind's ability to communicate.  For good, or bad, there is no turning back and the impacts on us individually and for society as a whole will continue to become greater and greater as technology advances at a quicker and quicker pace.

Businesses of course don't live in isolation to the greater developments in society and technology.  Information exchange and access is now expected to be instant by our customers, employees, suppliers, and other stakeholders.  If we don't have the technology in our business that delivers instant (and mobile) information management and communication we loose out to other businesses that do.

The Internet Cloud as a business software hosting arena has however also provided all businesses with the opportunity to access the solutions and technology they need for today's world, and at low cost.  Holding onto older technology solutions where we ran our expensive systems in-house and had limited access to these outside the office are today just not a logical strategic option.

Throughout history humans, as with all species, have had to adapt to a changing world, if they didn't adapt they died out.  The businesses that now adapt to use the Internet Cloud for their business will continue to compete, those that do not adapt and evolve their technology face a bleak future.

Professor Charles Handy many years ago forecast this type of situation by using the analogy of a frog (strange but true).  If you put a live frog into a boiling pan of water it will of course jump out.  However, if (apparently) you put it into a pan of cold water and then gradually heat the water, the frog won't react to the changing environment and will slowly cook!  As businesses, and individuals, we don't want to be that frog!  Instead we need to recognise the changing circumstances around us and react accordingly to survive and prosper.

But don't take my word for it 

If you're still not convinced that using the Internet for a business is a logical and necessary step for us all see the videos below.  I've provided a small selection of videos from You Tube that give other peoples views on the Internet Cloud.  These are just a small selection of the thousands you can view from other people on the same subject.

Agreeing with everyone else of course doesn't make you right, but in business can we afford to be a lone voice resisting the change that is going on around us?  To be or not to be that frog, that is the question....

What is Cloud Computing? SalesForce.com - 3:20 Traditional business applications and platforms are too complicated and expensive. They need a data center, a complex software stack and a team of experts to run them. This short video explains what Cloud Computing is and why it's faster, lower cost and doesn't eat up your valuable IT resources.
		The business benefits of cloud computing Microsoft - 2:49 Cloud computing gives you anywhere, anytime access, reliability and cost-savings. Phil Sorgen, Microsoft VP, explains you can make the most of your existing software investment and leverage the benefits of cloud computing.
Cloud Computing Google Channel UK - 1:49 Short video showing how cloud computing will help us in the future. But, this future is much nearer than you might think....
		Cloud Computing explained by experts Esselar -2:14 Cloud computing and hosted IT as explained by the experts...get rid of your 'boxes'. This video explains why Cloud Solutions are better than managing your software applications in-house on an 'old style' client-server basis.
How the Internet works in 5 minutes  Aaron Titus - 4:48 The Internet is not a fuzzy cloud. The Internet is a wire, actually buried in the ground.... An excellent video that explains in the simplest way possible how the Internet actually works!