March/April 2009

Cloud Computing - the next new, big thing in computing

Way back in the 1990's, a new model for computing was taking the world by storm - ASP.  Application Service Providers were popping up everywhere with the promise that this was the next big, new thing in computing. But it did not go unnoticed that ASP looked a lot like grid computing repackaged.  Or maybe grid computing looked like ASP. Anyway, grid computing was also to be the next big, new thing in computing.  But many "old-timers" noticed that grid computing was a lot like working on a mainframe.

The long story shortened is that Cloud Computing, SaaS, ASP, grid computing, etc. describes the same model of using computer resources over a big network called the "cloud" which looks a lot like the internet. The computer resources are applications, managed services, databases, user interfaces or any other software or service that can be delivered through the cloud for use on any of your computer machines. You might say that the "cloud" is the network that allows us to use software as a service (SaaS).

Trying to define an exact meaning to each of these terms or succinctly explain subtle differences between them is like determining the number of angels that can dance on a pinhead.  Extracting deep meaning is better left to the scholars as we apply the technology to our businesses.  

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