The buzzword of 2009 seems to be "cloud computing." And it's being fueled by a recession that's taking on the global economy like a prize fighting champ. When you start to look at the bottom line, you might be tempted to move away from capital expenses to a friendlier and more manageable monthly service fee. Hey, it seems to make sense.
But if you keep hearing the words and aren't sure what they mean, your first question might be, "what is this cloud computing?" Well, like "virtualization," cloud computing is a broad term and one that gets tossed around more and more these days -- in fact, it has become part of IT 2.0 buzzword bingo. Typically, it refers to software, services, and resources that operate on computers somewhere out there in the Internet or off in the clouds. Users may not have any knowledge, expertise, or control over the technology infrastructure in the cloud, but that's OK. It's all part of the master plan.
[ Virtualization skill sets are in high demand right now, especially VMware experience | Now is the time to learn more about what cloud computing really means ]
Like any new, game-changing technology, virtualization included, it brings the doom-and-gloom messaging about how this new technology is going to be the end of an era. This is going to be the one that puts good, hard-working folks out of business and on the streets. Why? Because many people out there make it seem as though IT folks have little chance to adapt in this technological world we live in. Sure, there are some IT folks who refuse to give up their DOS, dot-matrix printers, and 300-baud modems. But that isn't the entire breed.
I remember when server virtualization popped up in the early part of 2000. It was black magic, and only a few were considered to have mastered the black arts. As time went on, it too became part of that tired cliche of "doing more with less," and consolidation was all the rage. The fear was that this technology was difficult to learn, IT admins would lose their jobs because datacenters would shrink in size, and system engineers wouldn't be able to learn the "new skills" required. It is now 2009, and some 15 percent of all servers are now virtualized, server virtualization is easy to install and easier to operate, and there are literally tens of thousands -- if not more -- virtual admins in the workforce. Fear abated, technology embraced.
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