Avoid thinking about cloud computing at your peril. Why? Perhaps the greatest reason not to ignore the buzz is that the largest ICT companies on the planet have been working for years to re-engineer their back-end systems (from financial and billing system overhauls, to re-architecting software from the ground up to allow for multi-tenant structures, and their obvious moves into both the emerging and SME economies of the world). Major investments have already been made. The world has already turned. It is simply that the proverbial switch is about to be flicked.

We are ourselves a company formed on the back of early advances in cloud computing which sees traditional enterprise technologies being developed and delivered in componentised consumable pieces - literally for the masses. Technology is no longer an impediment to competition. Competition is now all about skills.

For Australia the advent of cloud computing will issue in a new wave of competition and capacity. It will drive more David and Goliath competition than we have ever seen before, in all industries across the country and the globe . And it will certainly make it easier for Longhaus and the 600,000 other micro to medium enterprises like us in Australia to not just survive but to thrive. 

As we speak, we can run our business on exactly the same software as BHP or Coles Myer. The fact is though, in many cases that has always been possible. Since the early 1990’s I have encountered more than a few significantly large organisations (names you would instantly recognise) running entire corporate information systems from a single Access database (available today from $199/PC from Harris Technology).

But SMEs will not have it all their own way; it is just that when it comes to technology the playing field for adoption is now more level than it has ever been in history. As Sam put it so eloquently about 18-months ago in one of his articles called The Turning Tide of Innovation, it is the equivalent of what being able to build and run your own steam train would have meant to a small business operator in 19th century England. The mind boggles.

For major enterprises cloud computing means greater efficiency and the scale on which that occurs in Australia’s 70-odd thousand medium-large companies, and the investment it brings to ICT (whether new or re-focused) could be staggering.

But cloud computing is about much more than easier forms of componentisation and utilisation and it is for that reason that we will be exploring the topic in conjunction with Invest Brisbane in the first of the Brisbane ICT Hypothetical Series on November 6th at the Icon Theatre in Eagle Street Brisbane.

While more information is available on our events page, we are very pleased with the early support from some of the industry’s leading companies and thinkers who will be participating. We are really excited about the format, and my thanks go out to all involved especially Steven Silvester and Philippa Mace at Invest Brisbane.