Analysis on the interaction between cloud computing and traditional software

1 concept, characteristics and service mode of cloud computing

1.1 Concept of cloud computing

Cloud computing (cloud computing) is an internet-based calculation. In cloud computing, storage and operations will no longer run on the local computer or server, but rather on a large number of computers that are distributed across the Internet, i.e. Cloud computing is accomplished by transferring the tasks originally performed by personal computers and private data centers to a large computing center shared by all users on the lnternet, realizing the full sharing of computing resources such as computer hardware, software and other service resources such as installation, configuration and maintenance of these computing resources.

The so-called "cloud" actually refers to the various computing centers distributed in interact, including thousands or even hundreds of thousands of or millions of of computers or servers. Instead of buying high-performance hardware, users no longer buy or develop software for various functions, but use any device that is available to the Internet. Connect to the cloud and use the software or services provided by the cloud to process and store data directly on the cloud.

Therefore, cloud computing can be seen as the development of parallel Computing (Parallel Computing), distributed Computing (distributed Computing) and Grid computing (grid Computing). The main difference between cloud computing and Grid computing is: Grid computing focuses on solving the allocation of computing and storage resources, and the computing and storage resources that are available are redistributed to everyone based on the needs of their applications, while cloud computing tends to be shared by computing, storing, and applying resources, and in cloud computing, users not only need grid computing. Provide computing and storage resources, do not need to purchase or develop applications, all of which are provided by the cloud provider.

1.2 Characteristics of cloud computing

(1) Dynamic high scalability. Cloud technology enables users to dynamically add and subtract IT resources based on application requirements anytime, anywhere. Because the application runs on the virtual platform, there is no predetermined fixed resources in the lock, so the size of the cloud business volume can be dynamically scalable to meet specific times, specific applications and the needs of user size changes.

(2) Super large-scale virtualization. The needs and uses of the cloud business are independent of specific physical resources, and it applications and businesses are running on the virtual platform. Cloud computing supports users in any Internet-enabled location, using any Internet terminal to obtain application services. The resources requested by the user are from a large cloud platform.

(3) High availability. The cloud platform ensures the high availability of the service by using the data copy fault-tolerant and compute node isomorphism interchangeable technology. Any single point of physical failure occurs, the application will move to other physical resources without the user's knowledge, and the use of cloud computing is more usable than other computing methods.

(4) On demand, according to the use of pay. Cloud business is a huge pool of resources, users buy on demand, like running water, electricity, gas billing. In both the short and long term, cloud computing's business model is paid for by usage.

(5) Reuse of resources, Low-cost. With the use of resource statistical multiplexing technology for cloud computing, the utilization of it physical resources is greatly increased, thus reducing the business cost of the cloud.

1.3 Service forms of cloud computing

(1) SAAS (software as a service). This type of cloud computing passes the program to thousands of users through the browser. In the case of users, this eliminates the cost of server and software authorization, and from a vendor standpoint, it is enough to maintain a single program, which can reduce costs, and salesforce.com is by far the most famous company in this category. SaaS is more commonly used in human resource management procedures and ERP. Google apps and Zoho Office are similar services.

(2) Practical computing (Utility Computing) The idea was very early, but it was only recently that the Amazon.com, Sun, IBM and other companies that provided storage services and virtual servers were reborn. This cloud computing is the creation of a virtual datacenter for the LT industry that enables it to centralize memory, I/O devices, storage, and computing power as a virtual resource pool the entire network.

(3) Network services. Closely related to SaaS, network service providers are able to provide APIs that allow developers to develop more internet-based applications rather than providing stand-alone programs.

(4) Platform is the service. Another kind of SaaS, this form of cloud computing provides the development environment as a service. You can use the middleman's device to develop your own program and upload it to users via the Internet and its servers.

(5) MSP (Management service provider). One of the oldest applications of cloud computing. This application is more for the IT industry rather than end users, often used for mail virus scanning, program monitoring and so on.

(6) Commercial service platform. A hybrid application of SaaS and MSP, which provides a platform for interaction between users and providers. For example, the user's personal expense management system can manage their expenses according to the user's not being set up and coordinate the various services they order.

(7) Internet integration. Integrate companies that provide similar services on the Internet so that users can compare and choose their own suits more easily.

2 Interaction between cloud computing and the traditional software industry

2.1 The conflict between cloud computing and traditional software industry

SaaS differs from traditional applications in that one application serves hundreds or even tens of thousands of users, so multi-tenant technology (multi-tenancy) is the biggest challenge for traditional software vendors to enter the SaaS domain. How to isolate each customer's information in an application is a key technology to ensure that each customer's application is not disruptive and information is not compromised. This information is not only reflected in the data level, but also in the application process and human-computer interface. Each user needs to be-adjusted according to their own needs of the interface, the style of the interface, logo usage and process configuration need to provide customers with a unique experience.

In addition, the service metering and fee-taking is also a problem that traditional software vendors have to face. Unlike traditional software with product and project billing, SaaS applications are Jizan for services. Different services can be measured in different ways, hard disk space occupancy, use times, the use of time, the number of licenses used ..., can become the standard of measurement, different services for the measurement of the same requirements, the cost of the standard naturally different.

The second is the opposition from the business model. Selling software licensing (license) and selling SaaS application services are two distinct business models. The price gap between the two modes is great, although it works the same for the user. But for traditional software companies, the SaaS model is a huge challenge. The SaaS model needs to allocate and minimize the cost to the individual user to achieve the scale effect of the application service, while the license model pursues the maximum benefit of individual projects and products. The two models have a diametrically opposed view of individual earnings, which leads to the antagonism of two different business models.

Finally, the changes from the internal organization structure and incentive mechanism of the software business. The organizational structure needed to sell traditional and SaaS software is also different. For example, traditional management software typically requires a large number of project implementation consultants and two development teams, as well as service companies or service agents in major cities to ensure the after-sale service of the software. Companies that provide SaaS services usually need to sell their products through a network of direct marketing or platform partners. At the same time, due to the high degree of production, the implementation force and two development needs are not very strong. In the incentive mechanism for sales personnel, traditional software sales usually take the project to assess the incentive, the completion of the project is the basis for assessment, and SaaS software Sales is a long-term service, based on the traditional software to sell different worms incentive mechanism, but also the traditional software business needs to face the challenge.

2.2 The promotion of cloud computing to traditional software

For traditional application software, software Enterprise's biggest heart misfortune a certain too pirated. The existence of pirated software has greatly reduced the profits of enterprises. But it is also the high profit of software that makes pirated software more frequent. Even if a software company spends a lot of time and effort doing piracy work, the effect is not obvious.

For traditional software, such as ERP system, the maximum initialization cost of the project includes three pieces, respectively, the authorization cost of software, training cost and server acquisition and deployment, etc. In fact, people always have such a psychological, if let the enterprise to take out a hundreds of thousands of, or even millions to implement an information project, very few enterprises will be so big to come up with so much money but, if another angle, let the enterprise spend a month 1000 yuan, a year is 12000 yuan. Like ERP software, the general use of a decade is the minimum. Then ten years is a hundred thousand of, at this time the enterprise will pay. It is different for people to have the psychological influence of one-off digging and cutting.

Software integration is also a big problem for companies and software companies when deploying traditional applications. such as enterprises have deployed financial management software, invoicing management software, personnel management system and so on. But finally found that they could not be friendly to work. This is an island of information. In the traditional software model, this island phenomenon is difficult to avoid. With the passage of time, the scale of the expansion and management level of improvement, will adopt a number of cross-sectoral management system. In this application software upgrade process, often is subversive. That is to take the new information management system, it will abandon the original information system. Therefore, although the voice of software integration is very high, but the enterprise in the adoption of more advanced, more comprehensive information management system, basically using the replacement, rather than project integration. This is mainly because the risk of project integration is too high and the cost is too great. The main cause of these two high is not a unified platform.

2.3 Traditional software to make up for cloud computing

(1) Demand personalization problem. Because the SaaS model pays for thousands of customer base applications, it requires a high degree of customization of the application service, although SaaS can be customized and two times developed, but SaaS is a weakness in the face of customers who need a large, complex customization of applications.

(2) Security and stability issues. The data that users handle in cloud computing mode is not stored locally, but is kept in the data center of the Internet. The management and maintenance of these data centers are managed and maintained by the companies that provide cloud computing services, and they ensure strong computing power and a large enough storage space to be used by users. At any time and any place, users can connect to the Internet at any terminal is not ready. From the user's point of view, the company's various data to the Internet companies to manage, some people still have doubts about it.

In addition, there is such a problem, because all the applications and data are stored in the cloud, if the network is disconnected, users will not be able to access to their data, normal business will be interrupted. This is a very serious problem for the operating enterprises.

(3) Utilization of local resources. In the cloud juice calculation mode, the emphasis on many complex functions will be transferred to the network behind the terminal to complete, so that the user terminal function will be greatly simplified. But now the computer hardware computing ability is very, but the cloud juice calculate but cannot fully use these computational ability, this will cause very big resource waste.

3 cloud computing and the future development of traditional software

Compared with traditional software applications, CRM, HRM, and financial systems should be more versatile, more product-level, more in line with the requirements of mobile Office users, and no need for a large number of data transmission, so in the cloud environment, this software more by manufacturers and users of the green ignorant. On the contrary, SaaS mode is not appropriate for software applications with complex processes, strong personalization and low degree of production.

In the short run. The changes brought about by cloud computing have little impact on individuals, and perhaps, like many previous technologies, cloud computing will first bring the most direct changes to companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises: they can quickly build the kinds of apps they want without having to worry about server resources.

Of course, the future development of cloud computing also faces various challenges, in which security and privacy will become the primary issue. Therefore, some traditional software and existing applications can not be completely replaced in a short time by SaaS applications, and the data interoperability between the applications and process synergy will be more closely. The traditional software industry will also recognize the impact of cloud computing on the future, and gradually change to the service industry.

(Editor: Lu Guang)