Cloud Computing Science
01/2011
The Personalised Cloud by Charlton Barreto, Ph.D.
Cloud computing is changing the way services are created, delivered and consumed for both the consumer and the enterprise. It promises significant gains in efficiency and flexibility, at a time when data centres are increasingly challenged by the rapid growth in the number of users and volume of data. Yet, while much of the discussion of the cloud tends to focus on the data centre, devices of all types continue to play an essential to how, when and where these services are consumed. Importantly, they are being used to build “personalised clouds� based on architectures that enhance and optimise access to content and processing. Why a personalised cloud experience is important
Today;s end users are increasingly likely to utilise multiple devices, including smartphones, tablets, and notebooks to access information. They embrace new applications and devices in their personal life, and expect those same capabilities to be available at work. Yet when it comes to the ability to access, display, manipulate, store or secure data, some devices are clearly more capable than others. Larger displays, better graphics, greater storage, enhanced security; the reality is that different devices have different capabilities. Unfortunately, most services have followed the earlier web paradigm, and have been reduced to their lowest common denominator of functionality, with only limited ability to take advantage of device capabilities or suit the form factor. Enabling cloud-based applications to comprehend device capabilities is emerging to take advantage of them, in order to scale up or down to the device in terms of the greatest common multiple of functionality. Additionally, for many, the definition of the workplace has changed from a single location to which they travel, to an activity in which they engage from anywhere, any time. Mobile workers are amongst the most productive employees. For them, the office is their set of devices – notebook, net-book, tablet, and smartphone. Cloud-based applications often require users to be connected to access information, yet the networks they rely upon are subject to broad variations in the quality of service, and thus can often be intermittently SymposiaJournal
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