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Chapter 6 The Cloud
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disagree with the notion that the Internet is a utility? 4. Some economists may frown on the FCC getting involved in
Explain your reasoning. the operations of telecommunications companies and ISPs.
2. Imagine if the Internet was not protected by net neutrality. Think of some examples of other potential harmful effects of
If you were an entrepreneur starting a new e-commerce net neutrality (besides the potential of lost revenue and stifled
company, how could your business be hurt by ISPs creating innovation).
“fast” and “slow” lanes on the Internet? 5. Netflix was used as an example of a company that is instigating
3. The Internet is a resource used by governments, universities, large volumes of Internet traffic. In what ways will the
businesses, and people all around the world. Do you think any enforcement of net neutrality benefit Netflix?
one country or organization should be in charge of it?

more reliable infrastructure, and scale its operations much more quickly. Large companies gain
the same advantages but on a larger scale. So, the cloud lifts all boats and should enable orga-
nizations to develop more information systems cheaply and quickly, and thus (you knew it was
coming!) increase the demand for employees who know how to use and manage information
systems! 6
But what else? The cloud will foster new categories of work. By 2026, everything will be con-
nected to everything else, with most data stored in the cloud. Mobile systems will be the standard;
desktops will be relegated to content creators. So what new opportunities might arise?
Consider remote action systems, IS that provide computer-based activity or action at a
distance. By enabling action at a distance, remote action systems save time and travel expense
and make the skills and abilities of an expert available in places where he or she is not physically
located. They also enable experts to scale their expertise. Let’s look at a few examples.
Telediagnosis is a remote action system that healthcare professionals use to diagnose illness
for patients in rural or remote areas. Telesurgery uses telecommunications to link surgeons to
robotic equipment at distant locations. In 2001, Dr. Jacques Marescaux, located in New York
City, performed the first trans-Atlantic surgery when he successfully operated on a patient in
Strasbourg, France. Such examples, which are still rare, have problems that must be overcome,
but they will become more common by 2026. In fact, the largest healthcare provider in the U.S.,
UnitedHealthcare, recently announced that all video-based doctor visits will be covered just like
regular doctor visits. 7
Other uses for remote systems include telelaw enforcement, such as the RedFlex system that
uses cameras and motion-sensing equipment to issue tickets for red-light and speeding violations.
The RedFlex Group, headquartered in South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, earns 87 percent of its
revenue from traffic violations in the United States. It offers a turn-key traffic citation information
system that includes all five components. 8
Many remote systems are designed to provide services in dangerous locations, such as robots
that clean nuclear reactors or biologically contaminated sites. Drones and other unoccupied
military equipment are examples of remote systems used in war zones. Private security and law
enforcement will increasingly take advantage of remotely controlled flying drones and robots. You
may see an upgraded form of Knightscope’s 300-pound robot, named K5, patrolling your neigh-
borhood in 2026.
But, even with these new opportunities, the news isn’t all good. New York’s Metropolitan
Opera is arguably the finest opera company in the world. To see a live performance, you can drive
to Manhattan, park your car, taxi to Lincoln Center, and pay $300 per seat. Or you can watch
the same opera, remotely broadcast via Met Live, at a local movie theater, park your car for free,
pay $12, and take a seat in the fourth row, where via the magic of digital broadcasting you can
see details like the stitching on the singers’ costumes. Details you just can’t see from the $300