The Cloud

Progress + Improvements = Convenience

Back in the day, we used to have to wait for film to be developed before we knew if the photograph was in focus, or if we had blinked from the flash.  Thanks to technology, we now have digital cameras, which enable us to instantly view, crop, upload, and delete pictures  No longer are we even required to print double sets of pictures so that we can mail and share these coveted moments in time with loved ones, tenderly stuffing them into photo albums and putting them on a bookshelf, to be dusted off and viewed maybe once, every 10 years.  I remember a time when I was impressed that I could store my photos on my hard drive for easy access…I thought it was a great solution to having rolls of film and glossy photos stored in boxes in the closet, until one day, when my computer crashed and my photos (foolishly not backed-up…Doh!) were lost forever. 

The answer to yesterday’s dilemma with data storage is the ever mystifying “Cloud”.   Thanks to modern day advances, such as Cloud Computing, we can effortlessly upload our pictures online to photo sharing places like Facebook, Shutterfly  or Flickr, and allow access to a select population for viewing (or to the whole world, if we so choose).  We can sleep at night, with the assurance that those pictures are safely backed up in cyber space, ready for viewing at a moment’s notice.

Advances in technology like Cloud Computing are the driving force behind the progression of our day-to-day lives.

The Cloud…More Than Just Vapor

Cloud computing utilizes physical and virtualized machines to store and send the information that we so desperately cling to and rely on.  It utilizes the Internet in the most efficient manner possible, enabling the delivery of data wherever and whenever you need.  When trying to imagine what this concept looks like, instead of visualizing a white, puffy, cumulus nimbus in the sky, think of instead, clusters of interfacing hardware, software, and other IT devices that combine to distribute and receive our data. 

Clouding helps IT companies “make it rain”, in a sense, by lowering capex and opex.  No longer, do companies need to stock their own internal Data Centers…many businesses are finding a cost savings thanks to cloud economics, when they use an external cloud service for IT.  However, computing on the cloud raises concerns about security, governance, and management.  Ensuring that data in the cloud can be viewed and controlled consistently is a must, and this is where Schneider steps in. 

With software like Schneider Electric’s new Data Center Infrastructure Management , StruxureWare, IT professionals now have visibility and intelligence over the entire cloud.   

StruxureWare enables the cloud to be as efficient and effective as possible, monitoring and integrating real time data.  Because cloud hosts also require elasticity and scalability, Schneider can meet those demands with the modular approach of its power and cooling systems.  Where the IT industry makes advancements and enhancements, Schneider is right there, alongside, to assist with energy management.