So really … Why ISN’T Everyone Doing It?
In an earlier post on this site, I introduced the idea that Utility Computing was such a great idea that everyone should be doing it. A nice postulation … but one that is not being reflected in the real world. Why? I stand by my praise of Utility Computing in my earlier post – and there’s even a good chance that YOU agree with me (seeing as you are a reader of this blog) – but we are not seeing the adoption of Utility Computing that we would hope for. I would suggest that this is due to a number of factors:
- Utility Computing is relatively new – and people don’t really know about it. There is a mindshift that needs to take place amongst people who USE technology, and this will take time. Getting people to understand that they DON’T need to have a server in their back room in order to run a business means that they have to rethink their approach to technology.
- Fear of Change – related to the above point is the fact that because people don’t understand how this works, they (naturally) find it hard to trust it. Surely if they give their applications and data to someone else, they will lose control of them? How will they be able to be flexible when they don’t have their own applications on site? Business people will come to learn that they actually GAIN flexibility and control in a Utility Computing model – but this will take time and education.
- No one else is doing it – this is a common objection – and its just not true. Google Premier Applications (a great example of Utility Computing) has over 1.75 million businesses using their service! We advocates of Utility Computing need to be more vocal about successes like this – this one is entirely OUR fault, and shows that we need to get better at telling the story, and getting the message out to prospective customers.
- Traditional technology advisors are against it – The technology advisors for many businesses are hardware and software vendors – and many of them (quite correctly) see Utility Computing as something that will be detrimental to their business. As such, its not a high priority for these vendors to educate their customers on the virtues of Utility Computing
- Security Concerns – Its strange that the same people who keep their server in the back of their office and perform the occasional untested backup are concerned about the security of their data – but I hear this one a LOT. In a Utility Computing infrastructure, data is encrypted along with being physically and digitally protected. Data is replicated to multiple servers (unless you’re Microsoft) in real time – meaning that you (and only you) ALWAYS have access to your data, no matter what disaster may befall one data center
- We use specialized software – In fact, most people do. And while this may not be as straightforward as replacing your MS-Exchange with Google Applications, it can definitely be done, and there are plenty of great Utility Computing companies out there (like Hoolipot) who can help customers get their non-hosted software into a Utility Computing infrastructure. Technology has caught up with the “dream” of Utility Computing – and its now something we can ALL do.
So, working on the assumption that readers of this blog are fans of Utility Computing, what should we do? I would suggest that our course of action needs to start with Education. We need to teach people what Utility Computing is all about – to counter the propaganda they are hearing from their hardware salespeople – and to demonstrate to them that this is the safest, most economical route for their business. We need to become “evangelists” for Utility Computing (minus the robes) and infect others (minus the H1N1) with our enthusiasm for it.
Any other ideas? Comment below!!
