Page 17 - How Cloud Computing Is Transforming Business and Why You Cant Afford to Be Left Behind

INTRODUC TION

But a more serious part of their computing, the way they
conduct business, which was formerly done on their Black-
Berry, netbook, laptop, or PC, will also move into the cloud.
New layers of computing will be added to old patterns. Even
as the data centers on the Internet get larger, the devices on
which end users do their direct computing are likely to shrink,

two contrary trends that must be reconciled if you’re going to
end up in the right position to be part of the cloud revolution.
But to the business strategist, the cloud means a good deal
more than that. There will be a shift toward being able to rely
on large clusters of servers on the Internet for either steady-
state operations or the occasional needed surges of compute
power—at prices below the cost of running the corporate data

center. Businesses large and small will have the power to do
things that they couldn’t do before, do them faster, and reach
customers more effectively when they make the right moves.
A new platform has emerged with which to engage cus-
tomers and provide universal access to the business. Many new
possibilities for interacting with prospects and engaging with
customers are taking shape. The people you will be capable of
reaching tomorrow wouldn’t have dreamed of walking
through your doors today.

If anything, business is going to find it harder to sell to well-
informed consumers, who roam about the Internet at will as
if they owned the world. The cloud has many potentially un-
pleasant connotations for traditional businesses—instant,
acidic reviews by the most superficially disgruntled con-
sumers, sharing their upset with millions. At the same time,
it’s going to offer new opportunities to relate to customers

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