Cloud computing is good for some apps, but not all

The rush to cloud-based systems has clouded (if you forgive the pun) the judgement of some. Cloud computing is the current shiny new technology, and there is a temptation to move everything to it. But should we?

We can get a better idea of migration strategies by looking at previous generations of new technology. Cloud computing is the latest of a series of technology advances. In each case, the major applications stayed on their technology platform, and the new technology offered new applications.

When PCs arrived, the big mainframe applications (financial applications like general ledger, payroll, inventory, and billing) stayed on mainframes. The applications on PCs were word processing and spreadsheets. Games, too. Later desktop publishing, e-mail, and presentations emerged. All of these applications were specific to PCs. While traditional mainframe applications were written for PCs, they saw little popularity.

When the web arrived, the popular PC applications (word processing, etc.) stayed on PCs. The applications on the web were static web pages and e-commerce. Later, blogging and music sharing apps (Napster) joined the scene.

When smartphones and tablets arrived, Facebook and Twitter jumped from the web to them (sometimes apps do move from one platform to another) but most applications stayed on the web. The popular apps for phones (after Facebook and Twitter) include photography, maps and location (GPS), texting, music, and games.

The pattern is clear: a new technology allows for new types of applications and old applications tend to stay on their original platforms. Sometimes an application will move to a new platform; I suspect that most applications, developed on a platform, are particularly well-suited to that platform. (A form of evolution and specialization, perhaps.)

The analogy to evolution is perhaps not all that inappropriate. New technologies do kill off older technologies. PCs and word processing software killed off typewriters and dedicated word processing systems. PCs and networks killed off minicomputers. Cell phone networks are slowing killing wired telephony.

What does all of this tell us about cloud computing?

There is a lot of interest in cloud computing, and there should be. It is a new model of computing, one that offers reliability, modular system design, and the ability to scale. Forward-looking individuals and organizations are experimenting with it and learning about it. They are running pilot projects, some which succeed and some which fail.

Some among us will try to move everything to the cloud. Others will resist cloud computing. Both extremes are futile. Some applications should remain on the web (or even on PCs). Some applications will do well in the cloud.

Let's move forward and learn!