The electric grid made its appearance more than a century ago. Prior to plugging in, companies produced their own power with steam engines and plugged in. This marked a pardign shift in the way businesses operated and brought us into a new kind of connectivity. Cloud computing looks to have a very similar effect. Businesses and organizations are already tapping into the grid. Private computer systems are being dismantle and being replaced by web-based services and tools being delivered over the Internet. This time it’s computing that’s turning into a utility.

The shift is already remaking the computer industry, bringing new competitors like Google and Amazon center stage.  Traditional giants like Microsoft and Dell may find their approach becoming outdated. But the effects will reach much further. Some speculate that cheap computing will ultimately change society as profoundly as cheap electricity did. “The Big Switch” looks at the evolution of grid-based or “cloud” computing and what it may mean for workforce, our culture and your business. Definitely an interesting read.  Get it in paper…or, even better, download it from the grid.