The Physical Presence of Cloud Computing

When we think of cloud computing we generally think of removing the hardware, or more specifically the processing power from our home computers to a centralized system in the Cloud. This is an apt thought in that the future of computing seems to be moving away from personal computers that hold all of our data and programs, and moves these things to a more ubiquitous, almost intangible arena in the ether.

Far from the ether, however, Cloud Computing has a physical presence with interesting ramifications. Take Apple for example, a company that has aligned its strategy with the potential Cloud Computing presents. In its case, the physical aspect of the Cloud is a massive facility of 500,000 square feet that dwarfs any other facility Apple presently owns. The iDatacenter in Maiden, North Carolina though huge has only 50 full time employees. It is specifically a storage and processing center, with no other operations being done there.

Like any big facility this one attracts myriad concerns. The physical security, an interesting twist on internet security, is far different from the virus protection found on many home computers. Security guards, cameras and barbed wire protect data.

The huge electrical need of a facility with such processing power has drawn criticism that until recently would seem unlikely for a computer company. Greenpeace has complained that the power consumption primarily uses coal power and thus makes Apple a dirty emitter. Perhaps in response Apple announced a 20 megawatt array of solar panels to reduce the facilities dependence on local power sources.  

These are interesting considerations in the movement from PC’s to Cloud Computing.