Beyond the Clouds

Posted on by bishmality

Over the past ten years we have seen the internet develop into a rich and powerful environment where as of lately companies are now slowly transitioning their products/software into the cloud to harness the benefits of which our current networks can provide (adsl/cable). We can only imagine what the cloud can offer in the future. As the world transitions its network to fibre optics so does the door to new and exciting possibilities with the cloud. The cloud itself will power our devices without having the need for processors, disk space, etc. Enabling a future with ultra-thin devices ranging from body electronics such as contact lens that offer augmented reality while also in the background monitoring your body real time to track things like glucose levels (Microsoft.com, 2014) or tablet devices that are as thin and light as paper.

As the cloud removes the need for more hardware in our devices (hardware is no longer local), the business model of computing will change too. Today when we purchase a computer we look at its form factor, hardware specs and compare it for value.  In the future, devices will be much cheaper to buy since the lack of inbuilt hardware. However in-order for the device to be functional a cloud computing service must be active by paying a subscription fee. This fee ranges depending on your processing needs (gaming, multimedia, business packages). With an active subscription you get access to the same unified experience/processing power across all your devices.

Even everyday items will become connected to the cloud such as traffic lights (smart lights) which can help increase traffic flow. Tables than can bring up your desktop/workspace to interact and seamlessly share files with other people (in both a public/private environment). Ultra-rich media such as 16K video and 360 degree movie experiences that will immerse us into unprecedented realism/quality.

 

The cloud will continue to grow and become the forefront of technology. Everything will be powered and driven by it, changing the world and the ways we use it. Just like electricity being invented for lighting and heating, over the past years we have invented countless new applications for it. The same applies to the cloud, we have yet to see/explore its full potential.

The Tech for Tomorrow

Posted on by bishmality

The cloud connects us both to our personal data but also to the entire world. Society has embraced the services it offers and are consuming more and more each day. According to the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA), Australians spend more than 18.8 hours a day on the internet (Pria.com.au, 2014).

Cloud computing enables small devices with low-end hardware to perform run cpu/graphic intensive applications, enabling users to achieve what they want, with the device they want. A good example of this is the OnLive platform (Platform as a Service). With society hungry for more mobility and performance from their devices, the cloud can deliver the performance they need without having to suffice for portability. However this service requires a low latency/high bandwidth connection in order to provide the intended experience. Consumers with low-bandwidth connections such as countries like Australia (using old copper network) will have difficulties using these bandwidth demanding services.

With countries over the past few years opting in for fibre optics, consumers will soon be able to achieve this power and experience the service as intended.

Over the past ten years we have seen the internet develop into a rich and powerful environment where as of lately companies are now slowly transitioning their products/software into the cloud to harness the benefits of which our current networks can provide (adsl/cable). We can only imagine what the cloud can offer in the future. As the world transitions its network to fibre optics so does the door to new and exciting possibilities with the cloud. The cloud itself will power our devices without having the need for processors, disk space, etc. Enabling a future with ultra-thin devices ranging from body electronics such as contact lens that offer augmented reality while also in the background monitoring your body real time to track things like glucose levels (Microsoft.com, 2014) or tablet devices that are as thin and light as paper.

As the cloud removes the need for more hardware in our devices (hardware is no longer local), the business model of computing will change too. Today when we purchase a computer we look at its form factor, hardware specs and compare it for value.  In the future, devices will be much cheaper to buy since the lack of inbuilt hardware. However in-order for the device to be functional a cloud computing service must be active by paying a subscription fee. This fee ranges depending on your processing needs (gaming, multimedia, business packages). With an active subscription you get access to the same unified experience/processing power across all your devices.

Even everyday items will become connected to the cloud such as traffic lights (smart lights) which can help increase traffic flow. Tables than can bring up your desktop/workspace to interact and seamlessly share files with other people (in both a public/private environment). Ultra-rich media such as 16K video and 360 degree movie experiences that will immerse us into unprecedented realism/quality.

Cloud

Now we’re flying

Posted on by bishmality

Before the use of cloud computing, data and applications were read, ran and processed on the physical machine. For example, desktop applications such as Photoshop, Maya and video games all utilized the computing power of your machines physical hardware. It was your computer’s hardware specifications that determined how productive/fast processing was done on the computer.

With tasks such as video rendering/3D rendering, immense computational power is needed to complete the task. Even the most powerful desktop computers can take several hours to render a short scene.

This is where cloud processing can help to minimize the production/rendering time. By uploading your project files to a render farm (a cluster of high performance computers that work as one) service like RebusFarm and RayVision, you gain access to their extremely powerful hardware (x150 faster than an i7 PC/MAC) (Render-online.com, 2014) which allows a much faster rendering time than what would otherwise be quite time consuming. And because it’s not consuming processing power on your end you can continue to work on important things.

Large business and their IT departments in the past would have to manage hundreds to thousands of computers depending on the size of the organisation. This task involved software updates, fixes and security patches for all their systems. This would usually have to take place during out of office hours to prevent disruption to the normal working schedule. This along with licensing fees is both time consuming and expensive.

Collaborating between another in business was also done through local servers/networks, email and portable media which had ended up with data scattered along devices with users potentially viewing documents that are not up to date with the current version.

With software and services moving to the cloud, business now have the ability to move their work into the cloud enabling a multitude of benefits. A good example is Office 365.

Office 365 is Microsoft’s productivity suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) powered by the cloud. This enables its users to access to their applications, documents and files where ever they are. From work or home on a desktop or mobile device, Office 365 provides both the power of the productivity suite along with the flexibility of the cloud. Collaborating between another is no more of a send and receive process. With files in the cloud in a centralized location users can collaborate in real time. This also allows for users to always be receiving the most up to date version.

With a Business using office 365, IT departments no longer have to install/update software as this is done automatically by the cloud provider. The cloud is also much more cost effective when it comes to licensing. It also consumes less power as the processing power is all done via the cloud provider.

We’re flying through the Clouds

Posted on by bishmality

We’ve come a very long way since the birth of the internet. From its early beginning in 1969 as a small network for U.S government, education and research organisations (History.com, 2014) to 1989 where it evolved into what we know of today as the World Wide Web, becoming more and more available to the public (Bryant, 2011).

Today in the twenty-first century we have entered an era where the internet has become more than just a luxury, but rather a necessity. With leaders in technology already building the infrastructure for high speed internet and a global connectivity, soon all humans will have the right to internet access. (Facebook, 2014). With these goals on the horizon, along with the gradual transition from the old copper network to fibre optics (which allow for much greater bandwidth and lower latency), the cloud will take on an even bigger role than what it does today.

Cloud Computing