IT costs were always a worry, but only an occasional one. Cloud computing has changed that.
Here’s how it used to be. The New System was proposed. Costs were estimated, more or less accurately, for computing resources, staff increases, maintenance contracts, consultants and outsourcing. The battle was fought, the New System was approved, the checks were signed, and everyone could forget about costs for a while and concentrate on other issues, such as making the New System actually work.
One of the essential characteristics of cloud computing is «measured service.» Resource usage is measured by the byte transmitted, the byte stored, and the millisecond of processing time. Charges are broken down by the hour, and billed by the month. This can change the way people take decisions.
«The New System is really popular. It’s being used much more than expected.»