Cloud Computing is slowly establishing itself as the backbone of large corporations, startup companies and independents all alike. The timeline of online technology as it descended into the dotcom bomb and arose from the ashes like a phoenix is a classic store of nothing to something.
In the beginning there was the Internet with new websites popping up daily. Can you recall all the early ‘Social Media’ sites, like ubo.net? It had everything I wanted but at the same time nothing. There were links to things I knew people like me were interested; the local event, restaurants, music, etc… The problem with these companies is that there was no true value in their web presence. Think about having a staff of information technology specialists, marketing department and the whole nine yards, but you have no true stream of revenue. That is what many companies faced in the mid to late 90s. No bottom line, hence, the dotcom bomb destroyed companies these companies.
Fast-forward to 2010 and businesses have a better understanding of technology and how it does more than act as a showpiece. In the financial services industry we have Cloud Computing serving as virtual work staff. Salesforce.com, one of, if not the largest, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform and has grown to over a billion dollars in assets in less than 10 years reaching into all facets of business like Lead Management for E-Trade Financial and global collaboration with business partners for Dell Computers. Cloud Computing allows smaller entities to live a better existence in their industry with Cloud based services. The cost of Cloud based services is dwarfed when compared to keeping an in house staff of information technology professionals. This is news golden for startups and independents.
Michael Clayton 