Australia - Cloud Computing - Historical

Synopsis

In the late 1990’s BuddeComm started talking about the great potential of Application Service Providers (ASPs) but, together with the data centres, they were dunked in the dotcom crisis. Even then we indicated that the concept was sound and that it had great potential.

Now 15 years later they are back, but this time under the name of cloud computing. This term describes the shift towards providing data processing, communications and software services to a customer’s location from a variety of different places. A key element of its current success are progress in software and broadband technologies and affordability.

The development of cloud computing takes the form of a business transition and company strategies and policies will need to be changed before its potential can be monetised by businesses. A key factor here is that organisations will have to lift ICT from the level of an infrastructure issue to that of a business opportunity. Cloud computing will need to be seen as a valuable business tool – one that will differentiate the company from others. In general it gets introduced as a cost saver before it moves into new opportunities, innovation and business transformation.

However, in order to successfully implement cloud computing far more robust infrastructure is required than what currently is available. The NBN will provides that robust infrastructure needed for high-speed information processing, distributed computing as well as many other applications that can be processed, analysed and managed – all in real time over a cloud computer based IT platform..

Security will be crucial and far more attention needs to be given to ensure that these new large-scale developments are properly protected. This is of national importance. So while cloud computing will have a golden future its implementation will be more gradual over a larger number of years.

Companies covered:

Telstra, Optus, Macquarie Telecom, MYOB, CSIRO, NBNCo, AARNet, CSIRO, NTT, Cisco, IBM, Unified Communications, NBN Co, DiData

Key Developments:

Internet of Things, M2M, sensors network, smart grids, information processing, NBN, Cloud Computing, smart cities, business opportunities, sector transformation, data centres, VAS, Unified communications, UC