Matthew Goldner (2010) of OCLC, has come up with a few examples:
- Amazon: uses cloud infrastructure as a buying space.
- Facebook: employs the use of cloud platform as a space to build a unique application.
- Google Docs: makes use of cloud application by allowing the use of a software application through a web browser.
- ADP: provides services that can be accessed by a web browser.
In addition to these, Bansode and Pujar (2012) have identified several other companies that use cloud computing:
Microsoft Windows Azure allows organizations to develop and use applications with near unlimited scalability and ease-of-use. This model allows organizations to pay for what they need, leaving the rest out allows organizations to develop custom applications rapidly. Some of the services include: SaaS, storage and database management.
Rackspace Cloud: this is a cloud platform that offers three kinds of services to businesses: cloud servers, cloud files, and load balancers. Cloud servers are measured by the amount of physical memory reserved (between 256MB to 30GB) on an operating system of the client's choosing and are used to run web applications. Cloud files are used to organize and store media files that be easily delivered using a content delivery network. Load balancers help balance load capacity and helps increase server capabilities.
Many business and corporations are choosing to adopt cloud computing because it saves resources and time. According to Goldner (2010) businesses normal spend 70% of their resources supporting the infrastructure that keeps the business afloat, but when an organization moves to a cloud-based system, more resources are freed up to invest in more innovations, creating a better business or organization.
According to Jordan (2011) in April 2009 announced plans to create "web-scale" services for libraries. Web-scale is defined as "concentrating computer resources, applications and data to deliver benefits to large numbers of users through the Web"(p. 7). Web-scale may sound very similar to cloud computing and that's because it incorporates a cloud infrastructure. Few organizations can claim to be Web-scale, among them is Facebook, eBay, and Amazon.com. In addition to having a cloud infrastructure, Web-scale services include and aggregate mass of data and users. The goal of OCLC's Web-scale model is to move more data and management functions into the cloud to allow library staff to devote more time and resources (70/30 model) to internal improvements. The ultimate goal of this project is to streamline workflows, share resources, and effectively reach more users.
Bansode, S.Y., & Pujar, S.M. (2012). Cloud Computing and Libraries. Journal of Library & Information Technology, 32(6), 506-512.
Goldner, Matthew R. (2010). Winds of Change: Libraries and Cloud Computing. Bibliothek Forschung und Praxis, 34(3), 270-275.
Jordan, Jay. (2011). Climbing Out of the Box and into the Clouds: Building Web-Scale for Libraries. Journal of Library Administration, 51(1), 3-17.
The problem with covering emerging technology is how quickly it changes. For example Goldner highlights Google Docs, which is now defunct and has been packaged with Google Drive, an "cyberlocker" that melds Google's picassa, youtube, and docs technologies with realtime computer, mobile, and tablet synching. Meanwhile, in the past two years Amazon has opened their Cloud Drive to allow for music, video, and eBook storage, with the added benefit of the Kindle cloud reader, Audible Cloud streamer, Amazon Cloud Music Player, Amazon Instant Video, and other "cyberlocker" features.
ReplyDeleteI don't really see Facebook as a cloud-based technology. I guess my reason for this is that in general when I think of cloud storage I think of files that you "own" and can have access to at any time without having to sacrifice disk-space. Maybe that is my own failing in having a limited definition of cloud-technology, but in general anything you upload to Facebook you give up the rights to, and in general you cannot access the original uploaded files. For instance you can request an archive of your uploaded images, but they are Facebook's encoded versions of the images that strip the files of exif and copyright data, are compressed, and are by no means the original image that you uploaded. Conversely anything you upload to Google Drive remains as-is, photos are only converted if uploaded to Google+, but even then there is the option to upload the original uncompressed image to Google+ (the downside being that they take up more of your allotted space).
I understand you point, but the main difference between Facebook and Google Drive is that Facebook is a cloud platform, which uses the Internet as a base to build a unique application that can only be accessed via the Web. Google Drive allows users to access applications and content via the Internet, whether or not it was created by them. I know the distinction is very thin and I'll try to make it clearer in the future. Thanks for the comment.
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