Cloud Computing seems to be the Marmite of IT folks, they either love it or hate it. But unlike aformentioned “savory spread” (and I’m quoting from their corporate website), cloud computing certainly deserves an un-emotional and professional look at its place within an institutions IT strategy.
Tim Marshall
We have invited Tim Marshall, CEO at JANET(UK), to chair the cloud computing panel. Tim started life in data processing as an computer operator and programmer at Cranfield and then the Open University. He moved into TV, becoming Head of Events and Assistant Head of Sports and Events Group at the BBC. Following the BBC he became Senior Vice-President and MD of Buena Vista Productions at Walt Disney, where he was responsible for all international production of TV including a wide variety of educational, factual and fiction content.
He thinks that “Cloud computing stands little chance of gaining traction where senior management is paranoid of their data residing outside the perimeter fence of their organisation.”
Martin King
But security of data is not the only question when it comes to cloud computing. We collected a few questions for our panel on Twitter – and you can still submit your question, simply hashtag #fote09cc and fire away – and the common themes so far are: security, data protection, effect on choice and de-skilling in the educational sector.
On our pro cloud computing ‘team’ we will have Martin King, Head of IT at Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College (EHWLC) who sees cloud computing “as naturally emergent at this time, from cultural – technical developments such as mobility, social media and consumer IT”.
He will be joined by Miles Metcalfe, Head of IT Research & Development at Ravensbourne, whose buzz word compliant ‘Campus of the Future‘ presentation at FOTE08 was as entertaining as it was thought provoking.
Miles Metcalfe
Despite Miles thinking of “cloud computing as an unhelpful marketing term that is hard to pin down and of limited use for thinking about IT Strategy” he believes there are “is confluence of important (and potentially ‘game-changing’) trends in computing.”
Not too convinced by cloud computing and its rosy promises of a better future for everyone are Andrew Charlesworth, Director of the Centre of Law and IT at University of Bristol and Jason Kneen, Director at The Escape, a digital agency in Hampshire.
Andrew Charlesworth
Andrew believes “you should always look gift horses in the mouth and be aware of geeks baring gifts because there are legal implications to be considered.”
He has undertaken research and consultancy in legal issues arising from a range of subjects such as institutional repositories, e-Portfolios and VLEs to name a few and recently added cloud computing to that list.
Jason, a devoted father and husband, who – like some of us – spends to much time on Twitter would be lost without his iPhone, has more practical concerns which I believe us Londoners tend to overlook.
Jason Kneen
“I’m not against cloud computing as a concept. I just don’t see how it can be a considered a viable option when we still don’t have a reliable, high-speed network that is required to properly support it.”
