Clouds are very familiar to the aviation community. Cloud also is a “noun metaphor” used for the Internet. Information Technology (IT and at least the immediate entity known to me) has transitioned the noun into an acting verb cliche known as “cloud computing”.

Cloud computing basically uses web-based software browsing access to an application on the web to do business. Wow! Cloud computing demands the attention of small businesses to re-think IT infrastructure. Initially on the surface it seemed to be an easy panacea to serving and solving all small business computing needs. Using very little to no capital outlay, you may expand and upgrade your IT infrastructure to the latest and greatest applications and access; rent verses own so-to-speak.

However after some thought, I have some reservations to my definition as a panacea to the cloud computing infrastructure. Please allow me to share the following is a list of brief challenges to consider and as food for thought:

1. Data security…

2. Reliability of cloud providers and redundancy…

3. Single source of service (floating in the cloud)…

4. Solvency of cloud services (long term)…

5. Data regulatory (access/compliance)…

6. Information confidentiality (both business and client)…privacy of floating data…

7. Company value (own verses rent and vulnerability)…

Sounds good and enticing, but scattered to partly cloudy as I continue to digest the “food for thought”.

Let me know what you think.

Jim Alexander