Cloudonomics: The Business Value of Cloud Computing, + Website

Farther On

This book is written somewhat sequentially, but there is no reason not to jump straight to a chapter that is of interest as chapters are largely self-contained.

In the next few chapters, we look at IT and cloud computing in the context of competitive strategy and explore different use cases for which the cloud is particularly well suited—and those for which it is not. A review of the conventional wisdom regarding the cloud should help puncture some common myths—or at least make you think twice.

We look at the properties of pay-per-use pricing and on-demand resources, the conditions under which such charging and provisioning drive value—various combinations of unpredictability and variability—and architectural implications.

We examine the increasing importance of proximity, and the economics of dispersion in enhancing the user experience, then delve into the trade-offs between consolidation and dispersion and thus between processing time reduction and latency reduction.

We touch on behavioral economic concerns for and against cloud adoption, skimming the surface of the rich and often surprising field at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and economics.

We delve more deeply into advanced valuation of cloud patterns such as communications and markets, considering not just cost but topics such as the expected marginal value of an additional participant in a market.

Finally, we wrap our discussion up and draw conclusions regarding the evolution of cloud technology ...