Experts’ view


23 Mar 2011

Thoughts on cloud computing from leading tech figures.

Jason Ward

Jason Ward

Country manager for Ireland, EMC

I think cloud computing offers organisations a new way of approaching IT. Fundamentally, there are three patterns to that: it’s built differently; it’s operated differently; but more importantly, it’s consumed differently.

The consumerisation of IT today ultimately means that IT is very much a commodity. Organisations today can, through the use of the cloud, build infrastructure through which they can deliver services and applications to their business users in a very efficient manner.

Andrew Maybin

Andrew Maybin

Network services director, Tibus

In terms of jobs being created, we’re very lucky in Ireland because Google, Amazon and Microsoft, to name a few, have significant businesses here. They are big web application companies and software companies, so there’s a huge pool of very knowledgeable people here in Ireland about cloud computing as a web application.

The critical effects and network effects around that pool of knowledge leave Ireland in a very competitive position. If we’re innovative, too, we can get to market with new cloud applications quicker than other countries.

Kevin Hickey

Kevin Hickey

Project manager and lead developer, Digiweb

Any company that has a hardware infrastructure can save money by moving to the cloud. For Irish companies, given that we are quite entrepreneurial, the cloud computing model lends itself very well to that environment where companies don’t have to fork out capital expenditure before they get going.

They can take risks very quickly and if it doesn’t work out, then they’re not bankrupt, as it’s only operational expenditures. I think more entrepreneurs will succeed using this model simply because software pulled into the cloud is cheaper.