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that have been substantially reworked to encompass a more inclusive set of resource
management capabilities and to gradually implement Web-based interfaces for staff.
The new genre of library services platforms includes many examples of the
revolutionary development through the creation of entirely new products with an
entirely-new codebase written through current programming methods, software
architectures, with functionality designed without the baggage of existing systems,
and able to be deployed through multi-tenant software-as-a-service.
7
Beware of Marketing Hype
Cloud computing today finds a high level of acceptance in most libraries. In the early
phase of this technology cycle many organizations worked on educating libraries
regarding the virtues of cloud computing, giving reassurance to its ability to meet the
needs of libraries in a reliable and secure way.
As cloud computing has become popular, some organizations have begun to
employ the term as they market their products. The term “cloud computing” tends to
be applied to scenarios where a vendor hosts the server portion of a client/server
application as well as those deployed through true Web-based software-as-a-service.
Since “in the cloud” has become more of a marketing term than a technical
designation, libraries need to be quite careful with regard to understanding the
architecture and deployment options of the systems under consideration. While
hosted applications generally represent a positive arrangement for libraries, they also
do not necessarily offer transformational potential possible with more full-fledged
implementations of multi-tenant software as a service. The term “cloud washing”
describes the marketing hype that applies the label of cloud computing without
necessarily delivering the technologies consistent with the established architectures.
Even a hosted service that may not meet the modern understanding of software-as-
a-service can result in benefits to libraries. The efforts of a library's technical
personnel need to be targeted strategically. Taking care of local servers requires
considerable time and attention. The layers of security and data protection to
responsibly manage local computing and storage infrastructure requires considerable
technical expertise and may not play to the core strengths of a library. Large-scale
data centers associated with cloud infrastructure providers can employ teams of
specialists for each aspect of infrastructure. Relying on externally hosted systems or
subscribing to applications through software-as-a-service can free up a library's
technical personnel to focus on activities that have a more direct impact on end-user
services.
8
Paying for Cloud Computing
Cloud-based services may be priced through a utility model where computing cycles,
storage, and bandwidth consumed are metered and charged according to the amount
used. Amazon Web Services, for example, employs metered pricing. Customers pay
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