Mobile Devices and the Cloud
August 3, 2010
WRITTEN BY
August 3, 2010
James Taylor
What is the mobile cloud?
Cloud computing is on-demand computing that does not reside on the users’ premise. Instead, the shared computing resources are owned and managed by a service provider and the users access the resources via the Internet. The majority of the processing for the application takes place in the cloud (Shared Service), with some processing taking place on the mobile device. The mobile cloud will leverage the same cloud infrastructure as standard desktops and other devices, such as gaming.
What does the mobile cloud mean to users?
To the average user, a cloud service or application will look, feel, and act like it is running locally on the mobile device. Cloud services such as Apple’s iTunes and Google’s Gmail are already in production. However, the heavy lifting or major processing and storage for the applications happen on server computing farms that make up the cloud, and not on the mobile device. This makes the applications that run on a mobile device extremely lightweight, but also more reliant upon the connectivity to the cloud infrastructure.
Huge growth is expected for the mobile cloud computing industry. Based on the latest study from Juniper Research,the market for cloud-based mobile applications is projected to grow at 88% year over year from 2009 to 2014. This growth projects the mobile cloud market could top $9.5 billion by 2014, and compares to the estimated $400 million in 2009. ABI Research has higher projections with the mobile cloud exceeding $20 billion over the next five years. ABI Research senior analyst Mark Beccue says, “device fragmentation and memory currently limit the level of sophistication developers can deliver through mobile apps. By contrast, running mobile applications in the cloud will free up mobile processors while also enabling developers to create just one version of their application.”
The leading mobile device or software producers (Microsoft, Apple, and Google) understand the long term value of the cloud. They are all at various stages of a cloud build-out, and all currently have some level of cloud capabilities in their offerings.
- Apple– iTunes and iPhone/iPad applications have been Apple’s premier cloud based services. At the recent Macworld conference, Apple unveiled plans to allow users to create, edit, and store documents in the cloud. This increases the access to documents stored in the cloud from both the desktop and mobile devices.
- Google– A few well known cloud applications are already available, including Google Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Voice for the iPhone. Currently, Google owns the cloud advantage with regards to consumer and small business applications. The challenges for Google are mobile devices in the enterprise, and entertainment content (music, video and gaming). Apple has a huge advantage with iTunes, and Google will try to play catch-up by launching a service later this year. Microsoft and Blackberry are still the leaders in mobile in the enterprise.
- Microsoft – A recent Steve Ballmer comment regarding the cloud says it all, “We are all in!” Microsoft’s goal is to make the information users wants available across all screens, PC, mobile, TV, and gaming. They can accomplish this with the cloud. Microsoft also has a tools advantage. With their roots in creating development languages and tools, Microsoft is creating a development platform that allows the developer to create multi-screen cloud-based applications from one development tool. No other company has a tool set that offers this capability.
In a recent presentation, Eric Schmidt from Google uses a very appropriate quote from C. Clarke, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”Schmidt says that today’s mobile platforms are so powerful that when combined with a robust cloud service they can do “magical things.” The magic is already starting to happen. Patients are currently being monitored for doctors by their phones, mobile phones are allowing gulf oil spill victims to use location services to pinpoint oil slicks and sick marine life for immediate attention, and Chase just released an application where you can deposit a check by taking pictures with your Smartphone. Magic!
Mobile devices combined with applications and services running in the cloud will become a disruptive force in both the technology world, and the world at large. Worldwide, there are over 2.5 billion mobile devices, and less than 20% are of the Smartphone caliber. If cloud-based applications and services could be made available to the other 80% of mobile users, the results will be disruptive.
The capital shift in areas such as e‑commerce and advertising will transform and create new markets. This will be especially true in less developed countries. The rate at which less developed countries use mobile services is higher than any other group, even though the phones contain fewer capabilities. Many feel this is the bridge for those that can’t afford a personal computer. A mobile phone is a communications device that is much less expensive than a computer, and allows access to information and services that were previously unavailable. This is changing lives at a very basic level.
The mainframe computer was a disruptive force, the personal computer was a disruptive force, and the mobile phone with cloud computing will be a disruptive force. How will you or your business take advantage of this shift?
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