In this blog post, we explore how cloud computing is changing our daily lives and our data-driven society.
With the widespread digitization across all sectors in the 21st century, the volume of data is doubling every year. This goes beyond simply an increase in data; it signifies that data itself is beginning to be recognized as an asset and a source of competitive advantage. The accumulation and analysis of data have emerged as factors that determine corporate success and shape the direction of government policy. This means that the amount of data processed in a single year now rivals the total amount of data humanity has accumulated up until last year. As the volume of data has increased, the term “big data” has come to the forefront, and we have entered an era where the ability to handle data has become more important than any other skill. Underlying this trend is the technology known as cloud computing. Although it may seem difficult and vague, cloud computing is actually a technology that is very closely intertwined with the general public.
Almost everyone has used or heard of services like Apple’s iCloud or Google Drive. While the term “cloud computing” itself is used everywhere, it seems that few people actually have a precise understanding of the technology. In fact, Citrix, a Silicon Valley software company, conducted a survey on cloud computing among 1,000 people. The results showed that more than half of the respondents believed cloudy weather affects cloud computing. These results clearly demonstrate how limited the understanding of cloud computing is. Anyone interested in computer technology would find this result hard to take seriously.
So, why is cloud computing important, and why is public understanding so low despite it being a widely used technology? One reason is that this technology is producer-oriented rather than user-oriented. The fact that cloud computing is a producer-oriented technology is a key point that must be addressed to understand it. You’ve likely seen server rooms in companies or schools in the past. To enable multiple people to perform computing tasks, large server computers and the physical space to house them were required. Additionally, air conditioners to cool the heat, as well as several experts to build the computing environment using these servers, were essential. However, today it is possible to build a computing environment without hardware like server computers, physical spaces like server rooms, or IT experts. The era of “one-person development,” where a single developer can build an IT environment, has arrived.
As described above, cloud computing technology has led to a dramatic increase in productivity. Cloud computing is not the proprietary technology of a single company; rather, it is the result of evolution within a complex ecosystem where countless companies around the world collaborate and compete. This technology is already being used by nearly every company to operate IT environments or provide services to users. The IEEE defines cloud computing as “a paradigm in which data is permanently stored on servers on the Internet and temporarily stored on clients such as desktops, tablet computers, laptops, wall-mounted computers, and mobile devices.” As long as a client is connected to the Internet, it can utilize computing resources via cloud computing without the need for physical space or physical devices.
In addition to its intangible nature, cloud computing possesses the innovative characteristic of being “on-demand.” On-demand means that clients use only as many resources as they need, which can be understood as a pay-as-you-go model. For example, let’s assume Harvard University operates a server for course registration. If the server were operated using a traditional approach, high-performance server computers would need to be prepared to handle the traffic from tens of thousands of concurrent users on the day of registration. However, once registration ends, the number of users drops significantly, leading to a low utilization rate for the expensive high-performance computers—which amounts to a waste of computing resources. The physical space occupied by the computers and their depreciation costs are also significant factors.
However, by utilizing cloud computing, it is possible to lower the specifications of computing resources after registration ends, enabling efficient server operation at a lower cost.
The core technologies of cloud computing that enable on-demand computing resource management are virtualization and distributed processing. The operating system controls the hardware of the computer system down to its deepest levels. Therefore, in the past, it was impossible to change the operating system on a computer system, and running multiple operating systems on a single system was unimaginable. However, technology has advanced to logically partition a single physical computer system into multiple smaller systems. With the development of this virtualization technology, it has become possible to partition underutilized high-performance computers so that multiple users can share computing resources. Distributed processing is a technology in which multiple computers connected via a network logically divide and process tasks under a single operating system. In the past, to perform large-scale tasks that a single computer system could not handle, it was necessary to purchase and use a higher-performance computer system. However, with distributed processing technology, tasks can be processed simply by securing underutilized computer systems.
In summary, virtualization technology makes it appear as though a portion of a fragmented system is a single, complete computer system. Distributed processing technology makes the operating system believe that multiple systems are a single, high-performance computer system. This results in an overall increase in the utilization rate of computing resources and a reduction in costs. Furthermore, cloud computing service providers operate data centers equipped with computer systems and communication devices. These data centers are not limited to specific regions and offer the flexibility to be built in remote mountainous areas with low land costs. This provides environmental benefits that go beyond mere economic advantages. Cloud computing is a technology that dramatically increases efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and productivity in the information technology sector, reduces social costs, and contributes to the environment. It is highly likely to become a core component of advanced infrastructure, such as future smart cities, and its role will continue to grow in an era where data-driven decision-making is becoming increasingly important.
