The term “jumping the shark” is often used by fans to denote a specific episode of a series that changed the focus or tone of the series for the worse (coined in response to an episode from the fifth season of the American sitcom Happy Days, in which the character of Fonzie – Henry Winkler – jumps over a live shark while on water-skis), while “growing the beard” refers to the inverse of jumping the shark; i.e. the point where a previously disappointing show improved in quality (refers to the series Star Trek: The Next Generation – the second season is considered to be better in terms of storytelling over the first season and this shift coincided with the character William Riker, who was clean-shaven for the first season, growing a mustache and beard).
So, when we are talking about cloud, are you team “jumping the shark” or team “growing the beard”?
100% of companies move to the cloud for something, no matter if it’s a service or a software, but what is the real result? Did companies change for the worse or the better?
There is no cloud, it’s just someone else’s computer
The cloud is a network of servers where each server has a different function. Some may use computing power to run applications or deliver a service, whereas other servers are responsible for storing data. Cloud computing simply means storing and accessing data and programs over the Internet instead of on your computer’s hard drive.
The data being stored on our hard drive is being stored in something that we can physically see. Whether it be sitting underneath your monitor, or in your laptop, it is still an object which we can touch. Data that is being stored in the cloud is also being stored in a hard drive; however this hard drive could be located overseas or cross-country.
Cloud Act, Big Tech and European Data Sovereignty
The Cloud Act (Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act), passed in 2018, is a US law enabling federal law enforcement to compel US-based technology companies (like Microsoft, Google, AWS) to provide requested data, regardless of whether it is stored within or outside the United States. It prioritizes data control based on provider jurisdiction rather than storage location, aiming to streamline access to evidence for serious crimes while impacting global data privacy laws like GDPR.
Most recently, to “close the competitiveness gap”, Europe’s people and businesses aim for a sovereign tech infrastructure, reached through industrial leadership, to support all our digital experiences. I’m following very closely the evolution, and I’m part of EuroStack (https://eurostack.eu/) which is the idea for a European Industrial Policy initiative bringing together tech, governance and funding for Europe-focused investment to build and adopt a suite of digital infrastructures: from connectivity to cloud computing, AI and digital platforms.
For global businesses, it is critical to follow both paths in a proper way, to serve customers for the better. But how?
Public, private or hybrid cloud
The three main types of cloud computing are public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud. The key difference lies in flexibility and scalability:
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- Public cloud: everyone knows what it is. On a daily basis we use Microsoft Online, Google Drive, Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk Forma, etc.
- Private cloud: so-called on-premises solutions are fully managed within a company’s own data center, offering maximum control but limited scalability and high maintenance overhead
- Hybrid cloud: by contrast, combine on-premises infrastructure with public or private cloud services
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Within these deployment models, there are four main services:
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- infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
- platform as a service (PaaS)
- software as a service (SaaS)
- serverless computing
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So the big question is: “What should I choose for my company?”
The hybrid approach is often the best solution for those looking for security (private) and flexibility (public) together. But the choice depends on whether you prioritize savings (public), security (private) or flexibility (hybrid):
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- Savings: Public < Hybrid < Private
- Security: Private > Hybrid > Public
- Flexibility: Private > Hybrid > Public
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Stay data-hungry. Stay data-foolish.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Digital Consultant
