Heads in the cloud

Rozana Sani
New Straits Times
06-13-2011
Heads in the cloud
Byline: Rozana Sani
Edition: Main/Lifestyle
Section: Tech & U
Column: Trends

CLOUD computing? ROZANA SANI gets some answers.

It is 9pm in Kuala Lumpur. Entrepreneur Joe Chan (not his real name) has just finished dinner at a mamak restaurant and is now enjoying his daily cup of teh tarik.
His smartphone beeps and he whips it out of his pocket. It's an email from his client in the UK. The client wants a quotation for a graphics design job and he wants it now.

From the phone, Chan accesses the appropriate file from his company's website and attaches it to his reply along with a sample copy of his most recent work.

As an afterthought, he logs on to his business page on Facebook and makes a note on the request on his Wall.

And he does all this without leaving the restaurant. Like many other people around the world today, Chan is on cloud computing.

Cloud computing is a technology that uses the Internet and central remote servers to maintain data and applications. It allows consumers and businesses to use applications without installation and access their personal files at any computer with Internet access. This technology allows for efficient computing by centralising storage, memory, processing and bandwidth.

The cloud for consumers, or "consumer cloud", evolves around subscription-based applications consumed at real-time by end-users, says IDC Malaysia Consulting senior research manager Sudev Bangah.

Bangah says IDC estimates that the rise of mobility devices in the country will play a crucial role in heightening consumer cloud adoption.

"In the US, when you talk about consumer cloud, Amazon, Windows and Rackspace come to mind as they bring storage and hosting easily and cheaply to consumers. My opinion is that there is a need for a firestarter within our midst, to develop the relevant content and application which will be useful for local consumers," he says.

Bangah adds that a local catalyst (i.e. a local apps developer) is someone who can really kick-start the game in the country. Till then, he feels the level of access to the "cloud" is via social networking websites and email via mobile.

View from a window

One of the first consumer application based on cloud computing is Hotmail, the first free web email service launched 15 years ago. Since coming under the wings of Microsoft Corporation, Hotmail has evolved significantly.

"We have added ever-growing email storage, web messenger, threaded conversations, the Office Web Apps free productivity suite, and more recently photo email, which allows users to send up to 10GB of photos per email. SkyDrive, has 25GB of free online storage for sharing Microsoft Office docs and photos," says Barrie Ooi, head of Windows Live, Consumer and Online, Microsoft Asia Pacific.

"More than two million Malaysians are using Windows Live Messenger every month. The latest version of Messenger allows users to aggregate other social sites into one view. I can, for example, aggregate my Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube updates into my Messenger," says Ooi.

He says Windows Live sees Hotmail leading the way from a communication and sharing perspective, especially with the recent uptake of smartphones. Hotmail has Exchange Active Sync capabilities, which enables any Hotmail user to have real time synchronisation of email, calendar and contacts.

Its easy usage means consumers will want to have one ID to do this. Imagine having a virtual key that unlocks everything you are online in one place.

Better collaboration

For Google, cloud computing makes two main things possible that are difficult with traditional software: Collaboration and access.

"You can edit a web-based document together at the same time, rather than sending it back and forth as an attachment. In terms of access, you can reach your stuff on any netbook, smartphone, or desktop PC," says Derek Callow, head of Marketing, Google Southeast Asia.

But ultimately, he says it's not about applications or devices, it's about people.

"Google aims to help people connect more easily and get more done. We view collaboration as a starting point, not an add-on feature of your applications. The beauty of the cloud is that you become stateless - you can access your stuff wherever you want, however you want."

Google has been pushing the technological bounds of cloud computing for more than 10 years with apps like Google Docs, which enables real-time sharing and collaborating on documents, spreadsheet and presentations, Gmail, which gives you enough storage online that you don't have to worry about deleting emails or saving them to your desktop, and browser, Google Chrome, which is tailored for the cloud.

This year, Callow says Google expects to see even more Malaysians taking advantage of the consumer cloud to live their lives online as they start to realise that the Internet is much more than a simple resource for finding information - it is a way to seamlessly communicate and collaborate with others across the globe.

Security factor

Storage and hosting capabilities aside, security often enters the minds of consumers of cloud computing.

"Cloud computing is a phenomenon that has taken off over the last decade. As the cloud becomes more widely used, more and more unscrupulous people will target it, says David Hall, regional consumer product marketing manager, Symantec, Asia Pacific.

"For instance, phishing emails are becoming more targeted because it is easier to find out more information about potential targets as so much information is being shared online. Just searching for a name on a social networking or business networking site can yield plenty of information. It's important to take time to check the privacy settings on any social networking site you use - this only takes a couple of minutes and can help make sure that you share information with the right people," he says.

While there are risks, consumers can take precautions by making sure their Internet security solution is up-to-date so they're protected from the latest threats.

Use a free search advisor tool like Norton Safe Web which helps you identify which sites are safe to visit. A downloadable toolbar for PC users warns you of unsafe websites right in your search results and automatically blocks them. This free toolbar is available at safeweb.norton.com/lite

It is also important to make sure that the devices you use to access information in the cloud are secured.

"Passwords are important and need to be in place on mobile devices. By setting a password and setting your smartphone to lock after a short time, casual snoopers won't be able to browse all the information that's connected to your device. It's a simple step that will help keep your information private even if it falls into the hands of a casual snooper or petty thief."

Norton also offers Norton Online Backup and Norton Insight as additional protection.

"As with all good things, there is also a flip side to cloud computing, so take time to consider if a site or application is one you know and can trust. As devices grow more sophisticated, it is inevitable that attackers will key in on mobile devices which will become a leading source of confidential data loss. Enterprises and consumers will require new security models to safeguard the sensitive data that will be on and accessible through these devices."

(Copyright 2011)