Mobile Cloud Computing – Computing of Future

June 16, 2011 | Filed under: Technology News | Posted by: Akshit Gupta

mobile cloud computing

IT companies have now realized the power of clouds and companies of all sizes and of all hues are expanding their horizons and reaching for the clouds. The old adage sky is the limit is now being taken more seriously and it has spread like a fire in the IT World.

But does Cloud stop here? Answer is definitely NO. As we speak about this, the cloud developers are planning to move cloud into an entirely new paradigm, the mobile paradigm. Imagine the power of mobile clipped with the power of Cloud working together and creating applications that could change the way Mobile Services are being delivered nowadays. A recent research by ABI says that the cloud become a disruptive force in the mobile world by 2014, and eventually becoming the dominant way in which mobile applications operate and ultimately delivering revenues to the tune of approximately $20 billion.

What is Mobile Cloud Computing?

In very basic terms, it refers to an infrastructure where data storage and data processing happen outside of the mobile device. Today, there are already some good examples of mobile cloud computing applications including Google maps, Email services for Mobiles, mobile healthcare services and some navigation apps.

However, the majority of applications today still do most of the data storage and data processing on the mobile devices themselves and not in the cloud, this framework is soon bound to change.

Why Mobile Cloud Computing?

This question is quite simple to answer, everyone in this world cannot afford a smart-phone and hence remain devoid of high-end applications but why should this happen. There is still large number of markets worldwide where the dominant phone is a feature phone. Secondly, the main challenge of mobile application developers is of multiple mobile operating systems. Either they must write for just one operating system or create many versions for the same application. More sophisticated apps require significant processing power and memory in the handset. Using Web development, applications can run on servers instead of just locally, so handset requirements can be greatly reduced and developers need to create just one version of an application.

Is Mobile Cloud Computing Really The Future?

There are two primary reasons as to why mobile cloud computing will become a billion dollar industry. The first is quite intuitive that the no. of users the technology can touch is massive, it includes basically everyone who has a mobile phone and not stays limited to people who just have smart phones. Second reason is related to how applications are distributed today.

Dark Clouds? As with every new technology obviously there are some potential problems which could be barriers to this shift in mobile computing. The most important maybe is the lack of Internet access everywhere. However new technologies like HTML5, which does local caching could help mobile cloud apps get past those issues. And there is even a chance that the browser could one day be replaced with technology which provides better way to access mobile web.

The sky knows the reason and patterns behind all clouds, and you will know too, when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond horizons.The field has a huge potential but the need of an hour is to realize and tap it.Also it is a wonderful career oppurtunity for students as a possible career option.

I hope my article is fruitful for many.