ISPs and Telecom Providers must work together to bring Cloud to the Masses

The idea of cloud computing mean your data and the processes that manipulate and manage the data can be anywhere on earth or in space. Not a bad idea when you can build your datacenter in cost effective area to benefit from a low cost in labour and a suitable environment that will reduce the resources needed to operate. This concept looks good and sounds good, but in practise I think the majority of us are far from this ideal. I think the current infrastructure is okay for many but not for the majority should they decide to buy into the cloud computing model.

The problem

If you look at how information and telecommunication technology has been rolled out over the past two decade, the idea was to put the better technology where the market was (not a bad idea), because the concept of cloud computing was far from being a reality. By putting all the quality infrastructures in the cities Internet Service Providers had no choice but to follow suite and setup business in the same areas, so that they could offer the best possible service.

Fast forward to 2009, where businesses are being encouraged to use the cloud space but there is a bigger need for cloud supporting technologies to be cheaper, faster and more reliable. Also, only few companies can afford to pay for an infrastructure that will support cloud computing. Microsoft is building their Azure infrastructure and are offering is as an option to their Dynamics and .Net suite of applications. Amazon too is offering Amazon EC2 cloud computing services. Google, Sun Microsystems are doing the same. For others they are waiting for the telecom providers and the telecom providers are waiting for the businesses.

This approach creates a problem for the consumer: not many to choose from. For the small companies who want to enter this market, they have to settle with providing the software to support the infrastructure.

The Solution

The demand for cloud computing will only grows so the telecom industry and business need to work together to implement an infrastructure not only for cloud computing but something that will suffice when we move more into utility computing. It is going to be difficult for business to operate efficiently and cost effective on the current infrastructure.

Today as soon as one side of the world is awake the systems slows down drastically. Business want to put their systems closer to their customers – to improve speed, but they are restricted to keep their systems in house because they cannot get the same power outside at a reasonable price. There are many new telecom technologies that are coming into the market, but I think the providers are taking too long to implement them or they are putting them into areas that are okay and not into area, that would suit businesses and consumer alike.

At last year VMware conference VMware announced their cloud friendly operating system - vCenter with telecom partners such as British Telecom (BT). This is a step in the right direction; where application providers are in partnership with telecom providers. Through partnerships like this they can share the necessary information that will benefit businesses that want to take advantage of the cloud space.