June 2020 - Page 2 of 2 - Club Freelance Neo WP UK

Discover the history of cloud computing. Cloud’s current momentum can often make younger generations believe this technology is a thing of the 21^st century. In fact, sharing computing resources is an idea that dates back to the 1950s, when the same mainframe computers were accessed by all company employees via locally connected dumb terminals.

But it was not until 1969 that computer scientists lead by J.C.R. Licklider premiered ARPANET, the world’s first network connecting computers across vast distances. The system enabled communication and time-sharing of computing resources between different educational and military institutions. It later evolved into a network of networks — The Internet.

Licklider had a vision: an ‘intergalactic computer network’ that, beyond keeping everyone connected, would allow us to access data and applications regardless of location. More than half a century later, his vision is closer than ever to becoming a reality. About 59% of the global population has now access to the Internet, while cloud computing has gone from buzzword to the lifeblood of today’s enterprise.

The technology has indeed proved itself indispensable to digital transformation – cloud has been a decisive factor in the business world’s ability to withstand the COVID-19 crisis, supporting the sudden shift to remote work and helping companies quickly deploy and scale up IT infrastructure.

But what is the history of cloud computing ? Where exactly is the cloud right now, and where is it headed?

History of cloud computing: The various pathways to cloud

Current cloud offerings vary depending on how they approach data storage and application management. Also, there are three types of deployments: public, private and hybrid.

Public cloud offerings lease cloud infrastructure and solutions to multiple customers who all share the same network, with every customer’s data siloed from the rest. On the other hand, private cloud is used by a single organisation, whether the user owns it or leases it from a provider.

Then, private clouds tend to be tailor-made to the meet needs of the specific company.

Finally, the hybrid cloud combines both approaches. Companies pursue the hybrid approach for its versatility, which allows them to mix and match resources and IT skills to obtain the best of both worlds.

A new global study by data virtualisation company Denodo identifies hybrid cloud as the most widespread deployment path.

Hybrid configurations account for 42% of all deployments. Public cloud takes second place with an 18% share – head-to-head with private cloud, which accounts for 17% of enterprise configurations.

Two-thirds of respondents (66%) use the cloud for analytics and business intelligence, while 42% of companies leverage the technology for logical data warehousing. Data science is the focus of 41% of respondents.

Everything as a Service

Public cloud offerings have evolved well beyond data management and storage. They now focus on providing different services and can be further classified depending on the nature of these services. The most widespread are:

Software as a service (SaaS) solutions, which involve providers offering customers online access to applications they host
Platform as a service (PaaS) offerings, in which a third-party vendor provides hardware and software tools for companies to build applications, etc.
Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) solutions, which comprise all those services involving the lease of virtualized computing resources like storage

The multi-cloud

Similarly with hybrid cloud, combining a variety of cloud services from different providers can help companies achieve the cloud ecosystem that best fits their needs. This strategy is known as multi-cloud.

The multi-cloud approach is rapidly gaining popularity among businesses, especially the bigger ones, and it is projected to soon become the industry standard. However, the use of different architectures and software among cloud providers can lead to cybersecurity, compatibility and operational issues. So that, cloud users are currently pushing for industry-wide standardisation to tackle this problem.

What’s next for the history and future of cloud computing

With at least 50% of the world’s business already circulating through the cloud, the technology’s role in the enterprise will only keep on growing. Furthermore, it’s convergence with emerging technologies like IoT and AI is opening a whole new realm of possibilities.

Chief amongst these is cloud edge. The approach combines edge computing – the processing and storage of IoT data closer to the device – and cloud to reduce latency, increase security and allow for greater flexibility. This is made possible by not having to send all data collected to a distant data centre for processing, but rather processing it on-site and only sharing the resulting insights.

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A few weeks ago, Syntec Numérique and Tech in France made a diagnosis of the impact of the crisis on the digital sector. It made 75 recommendations aimed at reviving IT activity after the health crisis caused by COVID-19. Among these proposals, there was supporting “the development of self-employment” by facilitating collaboration between companies and freelancers. Enter IT freelancers.

“It is necessary to reinvent professional practices thanks to digital technology, to encourage new working methods throughout the economy, support the development of self-employment, support new professional uses,” can be read on the Syntec Numérique website.

This plebiscite for the use of independent consultants is not new. Even less in the IT sector. But it is currently being reinforced by the crisis.

And for good reason. In addition to the many advantages of recruiting freelance in normal times, the use of IT consultants is particularly advantageous in the period of instability that we are currently experiencing.

Focus on these three reasons to use the services of an IT freelancer during this period of health and economic crisis.

Favour IT freelancers to better juggle uncertainty

In these troubled times, you and your teams may need more agility than ever.

The COVID-19 crisis has forced organizations to be flexible and pragmatic in order to maintain their operations. The world has become volatile, complex and extremely uncertain. And this trend should continue.

In this context, companies that succeed have a strong capacity for adaptation.

This adaptability is often based on the ability to work in project mode and to mobilise the best skills on key projects.

With this in mind, if you are looking for IT talent to join your team, it may be better to turn to a freelancer rather than to a permanent employee. This type of contract is less engaging and less risky if the situation of the company were to deteriorate.

Another argument in favour of freelancers: they generally demonstrate greater autonomy and capacity for adaptation. They are used to evolve in changing and fast environments. In addition, most IT freelancers have already carried out telework assignments. Many of them have mastered and often appreciate this way of working.

Mobilise the skills of an IT expert to manage current emergencies

The confinement and all the consequences of the pandemic have put IT departments to the test: remote work, boom in security threats, over-demand on servers… The demands on IT support teams have increased tenfold, and most of the adjustments and projects are a matter of urgency.

Faced with this situation, IT departments must be increasingly responsive. And the level of challenge is high: it is the continuity of business activities that is at stake.

Here again, calling on one or more specialised, independent consultants in their area of expertise can be beneficial. They can intervene very quickly by bringing in cutting-edge skills and thus allow you to provide an effective solution to a given problem.

The use of IT freelancers makes it possible to absorb a temporary work overload on tasks for which it is necessary to acquire strong skills very quickly.

Signing a contract with a freelancer has the advantage of having few administrative constraints. Plus, you are able to do so within very short deadlines.

IT freelancers to accelerate strategic projects

The individuals and organisations that are most resilient to crises are those who are best prepared and best suited.

In terms of IT, it is the same story. The transformation of organisations requires transformative technological projects and the implementation of new IT architectures. Always adapted to the needs of the company in this changing context.

The teams working on these projects is therefore essential. Hence the need to make sure you are mobilising the right skills.

Calling on an experienced specialist on a niche topic can help you avoid certain errors and really speed up your work. That is crucial in this period of crisis. The possibility of leveraging these experts over well-defined periods gives you much greater budgetary and project management flexibility than if you had to incorporate these skills into your existing teams.

Because of the contractual relationship with their clients, IT freelancers often have pressure to perform well. This makes them commit to higher levels of quality compared to a regular employee.

Of course, your decision to use this or that profile, internally or externally, must be part of a global talent strategy. But more than ever, this strategy for managing your talent must be done with a view to agility and pragmatism — a fundamental in times of crisis.