When talking about a cloud computing system, it’s itching my entire body. Why, you might ask? Well, let’s be frank, the buzz word “Cloud Computing”, is just that buzz or what?
Am I insane? Well, why would I say such a unintelligent thing? Well, in my book, Cloud Computing is to some extent just another word for ASP, remember that? Yes, and I don’t mean Active Server Pages, but Application Service Provider.
I used to work for one for 5 years. when the Cloud Computing phrase came along I was just thinking, yet another buzzed up word for ASP.
In many ways it is, and in many ways it’s different. It’s the same in terms of hosting something, that be a App, Desktop(VDI) or Files somewhere but in your own data center. Or, that’s not quite right either, because you also have Private Cloud, which in the short term means that you provide a Cloud, but it’s hosted internally within your company.

Public Cloud, on the other hand is much like the good old ASP, as it’s different. Different in the way it’s scalable is one thing, but also different in what new issues we face.
Security, is one thing! Take file sharing for one, it’s a good example as to where the problem begins.

In EU and in non-EU countries here in Europe, like Norway, if you are a governmental or state owned company, you are actually not allowed to save your files outside of the country. So, here is where the problem with the likes of DropBox, Box.net and Citrix ShareFile begins. These “companies” can’t utilized the benefits that such flexible storage and sharing of files give the users. Why? Because, the Cloud providers can’t open up a data center in each and every freaking country in the world! Now, I know this works great for the US, since many cloud provider data centers are located there, and then the files are actually within the country. But, for European governmental companies, it’s a different story. Would you trust that your sensitive company data was hosted in a data center somewhere in the world?
I guess not, for some it’s fine, for others that are governed by law it’s not.

I’ve talked to a lot of customers the last year, about a emerging problem, called Dropbox. why?, because the users share there files from Dropbox. Company intellectual property shared by the employees via Dropbox, because it’s simple and fast. Still, the companies have no control. That’s where I would welcome a type of use our good sharing software like Citrix ShareFile, Dropbox or something else, inside your data center.
Yes, move the Public Cloud, into the companies data center, and it becomes a Private Cloud. Hosting the files, giving the users a easy and fast way of sharing there files with each other.

If we go just 3-5 years back the biggest issue back then was the USB stick, and how important intellectual company property became stolen. Either with a virus on the USB stick or buy good old theft.

Now, we face another more sophisticated problem, that of storage for one, but also where is it stored.

So, I have full confidence that some bright minds somewhere has the intention of bringing their cool software to the Private Cloud. Giving us the option to serve all aspects of the Cloud in a data center near you.

Please, feel free to share your thoughts on this issue buy commenting on this article.