According to Scott Gibson, director of product management at Rackspace, “Apple’s announcement of iCloud is a huge proof point to the importance of the cloud.” With a company like Apple backing the notion of the cloud as the “next generation” of inter-connectivity, there can be no question that the cloud is on its way up; but this announcement has many hosting providers wondering if Apple’s success means their loss.
It’s not surprising that the iCloud is raising some concerns about hosting providers among others in the cloud. There is already a great deal of competition in the market for cloud services, and a giant like Apple entering the ring could mean bad sales news for those that try to compete. And while there is no doubt that Apple product users will benefit from iCloud implementation, it is unlikely other providers will be affected. Here’s why.
As it stands, iCloud is a consumer storage tool. It is not meant for business applications; and although industrious users will find ways to make iCloud function in a business setting, its main selling point is for consumers to store photos, videos and pictures. Additionally, since iCloud is built for Apple devices only, it becomes clear that the company is not (yet) looking to get into the global hosting market, but instead, offer better and more robust support for its wireless products.
Cloud and VPS hosting providers may one day have to compete with a broader Apple cloud for customers; but for the moment, the iCloud is not a threat to the way cloud hosting is being done. As a consumer tool for enjoying Apple devices it has great utility, but its business acumen is purposefully limited.
Related News:
