Cloud computing refers to applications, platforms, and infrastructure resources that are delivered as a service over the Internet. Major tech companies like Microsoft are now developing cloud-based operating systems and services. While cloud computing offers scalable and cheap infrastructure when combined with open source solutions, there are also concerns about privacy, data ownership, and reliance on third party systems and servers. In the short term, cloud computing may affect the built environment through the delivery of bandwidth and networking as basic utilities.

1. Cloud Computing...
...is a metaphor for the Internet.
1. Applications - SaaS, Software as a Service
2. Platforms - application platform for developers
3. Infrastructure - general computing, storage, other resources

2. Which Will Mean Much Less Of This...

3. And More Of This...

4. Microsoft finally join the party!
“Steve Ballmer says Microsoft will unveil its cloud-computing operating system at
the end of this month” – PCPro 1st Oct 2008
“Amazon EC2 Running Windows Server: Coming Soon”

5. Why I Love The Cloud
Cloud Computing + Open Source (free) = Scalable Cheap Infrastructure!

6. So What’s The Catch?
“marketing hype...” “fashion-driven...”
privacy and ownership issues?
If you use a proprietary program or somebody else's web server,
are you defenceless?

7. Medium / Short Term Effect On The Built Environment?
“Bandwidth as the 4th Utility”
“The Building Optical Network (BON) is an all fiber backbone.”
All technical infrastructures on one network?

8. Jim McHale
Memoori Ltd
jim@memoori.com
http://blog.memoori.com