Head in the Clouds

I do not usually read magazines but during this last semester break, I found myself with nothing to do one day and, for one reason or another, I got my hands onto a Newsweek magazine. I flipped through the pages and found an article that caught my attention. The title was “Living in the Clouds: Is Computer Software Becoming Obsolete?” Now what the hell was the connection with computer software and clouds!

So I read the article to feed my curiosity.

Apparently, it is about "the biggest buzz phrase of 2008, [but] little understood until 2009” – cloud computing, and no, it’s not just counting clouds. According to the article by Brian Braiker, at its most basic, cloud computing is the ability to use software and data on the Internet (a.k.a., the cloud) instead of on your hard drive. It’s like a lease for another company’s (the ones who offer cloud computing services) software.

This is another great innovation in technology made possible with relatively cheaper high-speed internet access to almost anybody in the world. An advantage, of course, is the free space one will be able to get on his/her computer. Another is the possibility of access from virtually anywhere (with internet connection) of any software needed. However, I do not know how confidential information will be handled by using such services, and the issue of security still needs to be clarified, at least for me.

Indeed, technology is changing fast. The law has to keep up with the changing times to remain relevant and refrain from keeping its head in the clouds.

---
Rivera, Jan Michael A.
02-16779