Cloud computing resembles the early days of Open Source

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When the Open Source storm hit the IT scene, many dismissed it as a fad. How long could you last giving away source code for free? Many ‘experts’ felt there was a scam and simply waited for the lid to be flown off.

Of course we know better now. Even the most diehard critic has switched to open source.

Many today call the cloud computing revolution a fad. Are they going to change their mind soon? Have they already changed their mind?

Here are a few ways that the early days of open source and cloud computing could be similar. If history is anything to go by, the sooner you migrate to the cloud the better it is for your company.

• Ease of access – cloud computing is giving developers an unprecedented ease of access.
• Low cost – cloud computing resources generally start with a free model and go onto paid schemes if your usage grows beyond a point. What better way to use it to let your business grow?
• Ease of experimentation – the cloud allows you to experiment and innovate because the costs are so low.
• Because you can experiment, your cost of overcoming uncertainty is extremely low.
• Working on the cloud allows you to challenge established methods of handling infrastructure and applications just as open source once did.

While there is much work involved in shifting to the cloud, the overall benefits are great. All of us who were similarly skeptical about Open Source ought  to know better.

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