For the longest amount of time, we have fought against the notion of the Cloud being an amorphous term used to explain any and every remote data center operation. Since Cloud Computing became the newest IT trend and marketplace buzzword, we have been fighting to educate consumers about what the Cloud is, how it works and why consumers should be excited about utilizing it.
Here and now we can say, we have lost the battle of the Cloud. For the majority of consumers and businesses, Cloud Computing represents nothing more than a trend. An IT buzzword which everyone knows yet no one (outside of the IT industry and apparently Shia Labeouf) actually knows what it means. Due to ads like the Verizon Uppernet, IT providers have securely lodged Cloud solutions into the minds of consumers without every alerting them to what those solutions actually are.
For the longest time we fought against this lack of grid computing education. Oh yeah, the Cloud used to be called grid computing. Again, marketing changed this. Thanks Verizon Uppernet. For the longest time we fought to provide customers with real world Cloud solutions however we have lost that battle. Like “Big Data”, Cloud services are just another set of IT buzzwords which the industry can’t stop spitting out.
And yet, maybe this is how it was meant to be? Maybe, just maybe, as noted in InformationWeek on January 15, 2014 by Reuven Cohen, this is how it is supposed to be.
“Beyond a small group of technologists, Cloud Computing remains largely a mystery for most people. Ironically, I believe that’s the point of the Cloud: To act as an abstraction of the complexity found in more traditional data centers and application hosting infrastructures.”
Let’s say that again, maybe the Cloud was never meant to mean anything. Maybe, by design, it was meant “to act as an abstraction of the complexity found in more traditional data centers and application hosting infrastructures.” This is to say the term Cloud Computing was designed to distract. Maybe the goal was to provide the market with something to talk about while never actually talking about anything. To provide the market with a new IT service without having to explain how it works or more importantly, what is costs.
You have to remember, Cloud hosting firms and data center hosting companies are in the business of making money. Sure, virtualization technologies and remote Desktop as a Service solutions are core offerings, yet all told, maybe the Cloud was meant to distract to allow for higher profits.
Now, while this might seem like a rant into the delusional, let’s ask a question: why is it that Cloud platforms who provide a specific resource specification server – 2GB RAM, 40GB Disk, 2 CPU Cores and 4TB of Bandwidth – provide those services at wholly different prices? That specific server could cost $20 per month and it also could cost $45 per month. It all depends on the provider.
Another question: when it comes to colocation bills, data center providers are well known to provide an above the fold bill cost (that which is visible) and a below the fold cost (hidden fees) which are never explained to the customer. Sure, this nets more money for the provider however it also makes the consumer feel shorted and wronged. Under the fold billing in colocation is common. Does it happen because providers explain what those charges are or does it happen because providers understand most consumers can’t tell a load balancer from a PDU and thus, have free reign on cost?
The same thing is happening in the Cloud. Through a lack of explanation of services, the Cloud has become a buzzword for everything IT in a data center. This allows consumers to receive the services they want and providers to charge the rates they wish without justification.