7 Dumb Cloud Computing Myths

You've heard the arguments: The cloud is not secure, costs too much, and wrecks the environment. Let us set you straight.

12Comments | Charles Babcock | November 14, 2012 09:06 AM

Connect directly with Charles: Bio | Contact

Previous Image

Next Image

Informationweek Discussions

To upload an avatar photo, first complete your Disqus profile. | View the list of supported HTML tags you can use to style comments. | Please read our commenting policy.

Previous Slide Next Slide 4 of 9

Myth #3: The Cloud Costs More

My first question for those who believe the cloud costs more is: over what time period? If the cloud allows you to avoid making a capital purchase, then it will almost always enjoy a demonstrable cost advantage in the short run. But what about longer periods? This is an argument that needs a case-by-case comparison and is not possible to resolve in the general sense.

The roadblock is determining precisely how much a given IT operation costs over a three- or five-year period, versus how much it costs in Amazon Web Services EC2 or other cloud service. If apples-to-apples comparisons are hard to achieve, what's crystal clear is what Amazon is charging. This enables responsible IT admins' best estimates to be juxtaposed against known cloud costs.

The main argument supporting the cloud costing more is based on Moore's Law, which says the cost of a compute cycle is halved every 18 months by doubling output. So why doesn't cloud pricing follow a similar downward trend? It's because the cloud is a complete system, not just a standalone core or other component to which Moore's Law might apply. Furthermore, cloud computing provides services -- configuration, deployment, monitoring, chargeback and shutdown -- that an IT staff provides on premises. It's hard to assign costs to those on-premises services.

So I guess this debate is going to go on. But the cloud is automating processes that remain the charge of humans in enterprise IT. That alone ought to be a clue where both short- and long-term cost advantages reside.

Image Credit: Flickr user 401(K)2012

RECOMMENDED READING:

Answers To 9 Questions About Public Cloud Migration

Cloud Myth 101: Cloud Is A Place

Oracle Open World: Key Questions On Cloud Vision

Cloud's Big Caveat: Runaway Costs

Cloud's Thorniest Question: Does It Pay Off?

Terremark Cloud Services Pass DOD Security Test

Will Dell Lead The x86 Data Center Market?

N.Y. Times Data Center Indictment Misses Big Picture

How The Feds Drive Cloud Innovation