[LINK] strategic technologies

[Ivan Trundle]

On 23/11/2009, at 10:29 AM, Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:

>> Having said that, wasn't it Larry Ellison who noted that cloud computing is defined as 'everything that we currently do'?
>> 
> Larry may have said it, but it doesn't make it right.

Okay - he is at the other end of the spectrum from where I sit.

> Cloud computing is a solution to a particular problem. That problem is 
> one for which standardised, highly scalable infrastructure is a 
> solution.

Most SMEs are not in that position, and do not always have the wherewithal to support computerised projects beyond the capacity of their existing business resources. I can think of many examples where cloud computing fits the bill remarkably well, purely because it's far cheaper to outsource the support, maintenance, and overall delivery of a computerised service than to build it in-house.

Paradoxically, smaller businesses often have less of a standardised infrastructure than larger organisations: certainly the case in my experience. However, non-staffing infrastructure is often a small fraction of the cost of many computing projects, and many SMEs don't have the staff to maintain the existing infrastructure, relying heavily on external support, which reduces their capacity to scale.

Warmly

iT