Almost everyone takes storage space into consideration when buying a new smartphone. However, a lot of people are easier satisfied with relatively less storage space compared to some years ago. Cloud storage is the main reason why physical storage space is becoming less important. I think we all heard people saying “I don’t need that much space on my phone because I put everything in the cloud”, but what does that really mean and is this a positive change from a consumer’s perspective?
Clouds on the ground
If you are not familiar with the technology behind cloud storage, don’t worry, I will briefly describe and explain how cloud storage works. When you upload a file on Google Drive for example, it will send your digital data to logical pools within servers (often multiple locations). These servers are usually placed in large data storage parks owned by hosting companies. Hosting companies/providers are responsible for keeping the data available and accessible, and the physical environment protected and running. Web service applications are programs that let you access these data locations. Dropbox, Google Drive, One Drive are all examples of interfaces that use web service applications to access these data. So in reality, a cloud is a large building filled with black/grey boxes containing trillions of digital MB’s.
Cloud nine
Cloud storage seems like good development. It has multiple benefits for both consumers and businesses. The most obvious reason is storage availability. Like I already mentioned in the introduction, there is no need to buy a 128Gb iPhone, because you can store most of your data online. This does also count for all your other devices like laptops, desktops, tablets etc. It will save most people money on the long run. This does not mean that cloud storage is free, but in a lot of cases in it is cheaper than conventional hard disks. Another important benefit of cloud storage is convenience and accessibility. Many modern counties have stable and fast internet connection. This means that your data is accessible at any time at every device and location. This is super convenient, because it saves time managing all your files and information. The last benefit I want to mention is security. Consumers that make use of cloud storage don’t have to worry about the security and safety of their data. Hosting companies who are specialized in protecting data, are responsible for keeping your files save.
Dark cloud
While cloud storage has its benefits, there are many data scientists/experts that aren’t that positive about this development. They say that using cloud services means, “you’re trading security and reliability for convenience. Cloud storage providers want you to think they can do a better job of protecting your data than you could. Yet there is zero guarantee that your cloud vendor is maintaining better security on its systems than you do on your own”. There is truth in this statement. Of course, storage providers are heavily invested (more invested than you and me) in protecting data, but they are a much larger target for cybercriminals as well. Second point I want to make is about privacy. You are basically giving your data away when uploading files. There are obviously restriction regarding provider’s rights to use your data, but this doesn’t prevent firms like Google to analyze and use your data for their own benefit.
I think cloud services are good a development. It makes our life’s just a bit easier, however, I’m not sure about the idea of moving towards a world in which everything is stored in servers. In my opinion, It is good to maintain some form of decentralization to ensure our safety and privacy.
Bronnen:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing/cloud-storage.htm
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing/files-safe-in-the-cloud.htm
http://www.cio.com/article/2377060/cloud-computing/9-things-you-need-to-know-before-you-store-data-in-the-cloud.html
