THE WISDOM OF THE CLOUD

The innovation blog

You’re probably already sick of reading about cloud computing – in essence, the provision of IT as a service rather than as something which is part of a company’s infrastructure – but tough. You’ll read much more about in 2012, with companies like Apple, Fujifilm, IBM, Google, HP, Microsoft and Xerox investing heavily in it. Cloud frees businesses from the burden of maintaining their computers and digital networks. By using a network of remote servers, companies can outsource computing needs, avoid the cost and hassle of software and hardware upgrades and only pay for the data services they use. In this model, IT almost becomes a utility like electricity. That said, even early adopters have different ideas on how much of their IT resource they put into the cloud. Some believe cloud will complement traditional desktop software, not replace it. The potential impact on wide-format print is enormous and terribly unclear. New workflows could be created and relationships with customers radically redesigned. For example, Fujilfilm’s new XMF Print Centre enables printers to create and manage e-portals for different customers while Hiflex has launched a system for printers to use cloud to generate estimates and manage order books. The Carbon Disclosure Project predicts that the cloud could more than halve CO2 emissions from IT by 2020. Print suppliers are already developing products to tap into the fashion for ondemand Web or tablet-based print services.

Where will it all end? Who knows but it is worth remembering the words of Paul Saffo, the forecaster who runs The Long Now Foundation: “Change is never linear. New technologies come in S-curves so we routinely overestimate short-term change and underestimate long term change”.