Cloud computing is hot air, unless…

As you may know, I spend a lot of time working with some very knowledgeable people who spend their lives immersed in the computing lives of companies small, medium and large. They are also privileged to glimpse behind the kimono of the major IT and communications companies. Not everything we hear can be repeated, but the accumulated intelligence is exposed whenever possible.

Our beloved leader, one Dale Vile, recently went public with his thoughts on how you might lay your hands on cloud computing services and facilities, should you feel the urge.

He’s been listening to the rest of us banging on about cloud stuff for a while and has quietly done further research and formed his own opinions.

His perspective, as always, is very grounded and gives you the meat of his insights along with the potatoes of the practicalities. You can read the overview and pick up your free copy of his research note here.

He opens with a frank appraisal of the hype around cloud computing and explains how our research paints a completely different picture.

We aren’t on the verge of a revolution (you’ll be pleased to hear), more of an evolution. But he strongly believes that the smaller business is likely to get the most out of the new opportunities the soonest.

Having said that, a gulf exists between the people currently trying to pitch such services (like telcos and ISPs) and the potential buyers who understand neither the offerings nor their own requirements.

They need their local supplier – Dale calls him “Dave the dealer” – to explain and advocate appropriate services. It’s a short step for ‘Dave’ to do this, providing he is suitably rewarded by the service providers.

And, astonishingly perhaps (especially falling from my lips), Microsoft may be best poised to offer the answers with its Software plus Services (S+S) approach.

We don’t need an all or nothing disruption to get more value out of our computer systems. Why not extend our existing desktop solutions into cloud based additional services?

It makes a lot of sense to me.

David Tebbutt is an award-winning columnist and feature writer who specialises on the subject of using software and technology to increase business productivity. He's an analyst with Freeform Dynamics but, in previous lives, wrote for Director magazine, Real Business and was also editor of Personal Computer World. http://freeformdynamics.com