Utility (Cloud) Computing…Flashback to 1961 Prof. John McCarthy

In 1961, he was the first to publicly suggest (in a speech given to celebrate MIT’s centennial) that computer time-sharing technology might lead to a future in which computing power and even specific applications could be sold through the utility business model (like water orelectricity). This idea of a computer or information utility was very popular in the late 1960s, but faded by the mid-1970s as it became clear that the hardware, software and telecommunications technologies of the time were simply not ready. However, since 2000, the idea has resurfaced in new forms. Full reference here.

Cloud computing implements the idea of utility computing, which was first suggested by John McCarthy in 1961, where computing is viewed as a public utility. Cloud computing can also be compared to cluster computing, which views a group of linked computers as a single virtual computer for high-performance computing (HPC), or grid computing,where the linked computers tend to be geographically distributed to solve a common problem. Time-sharing systems were offered in the 1960s IBM, General Electric, and other companies. Complete article here.

Besides reducing the management cost associated with cloud computing resources, there are other advantages. For example, when you separate yourself from your resources by the Internet, it doesn’t really matter where those resources reside. They could be, for example, in a climate that offers ambient (natural) cooling and therefore minimizes energy usage.