If the Cloud Is a Game Changer, Who's Playing?

Part 2 of The Cloud Computing Guide for Non-Techies

The data center is the place where the cloud takes material form. When we envision the cloud computing industry, one of the main things we want to picture are data centers running at full tilt, lots of them.

You’d think that the recent burst of cloud data center construction would be big news. The facilities are huge and they are filled with an outrageous number of computers. Their technologies constitute the engineering marvels of our day. If nothing else, they cost a fortune and look like sci-fi movie sets. Still, they seem to operate under the radar of general awareness. This short story explains why non-techies might want to join private and corporate investors in regarding cloud computing as a key driver of the 21st century economy.

Cloud-enabled data centers, and the companies who design and operate them, have changed the IT game for keeps. Corporate entities investing now and building quickly (instead of later or by degree) are leading the cloud sector. Irrespective of one’s opinion of the situation, these are enterprises to keep tabs on. They are defining a new IT and telecommunications economy in which businesses of all sizes and specialties will partake.

Non-techies are part of the picture, too. Our smartphones, tablets, and laptops are built to reach out. Via the Internet, they link us to sophisticated software programs running in state-of-the-art cloud data centers. Yesterday’s self-contained PC has been swapped out. Its replacement? Remote access to a trillion dollar cloud computing grid.

This ebook brings readers up to date on the technological and marketplace changes driving the cloud revolution. It concludes with a brief summary of current reports about the cloud computing sector’s role in abating green house gas emissions. If the cloud is a game changer, here’s your chance to see who’s playing.