Talking About My (Cloud) Generation

Do you use cloud services every day? The likely answer to that question is probably a resounding yes! But most of us aren’t even fully conscious of the impact that cloud services are having on our day-to-day lives. Our work and personal lives are more ‘connected’ than ever through devices like smartphones, tablets, Wi-Fi, broadband, social media, e-readers, emails and cloud-based services like Spotify, Flickr, Facebook, Gmail and Hotmail*.

Rackspace commissioned the ‘Generation Cloud’ study in association with the centre for Creative and Social Technology (CAST) at Goldsmiths University of London to look into how cloud services have really changed the way we work and play in every aspect of our existence. The research that has come from this study is truly interesting and reveals that (without being fully aware of it) a significant 66% of British users are relying on cloud computing services every day.

This study’s accompanying white paper is entitled “Generation Cloud – A social study into the impact of cloud-based services on everyday UK life” – and is a deeper dive into cloud usage in the UK. The paper includes key survey findings and defines four distinct cloud user profiles as well as tips from Rackspace to consumers and businesses.

Highlighting the fact that we already have masses of information digitally stored in the cloud and this amount is only going to increase, our study has examined just how reliant we are on these online services? Now is an important time to examine just how much of our information is held in or shared via the cloud. We also need to ask whether we are exposing ourselves and our ‘digital treasures’ to significant risks?

Click here to download the white paper and find out just what we uncovered.

Rackspace Advice For Conscientious Cloud Consumers

 

• BE SELECTIVE: Be sure that your chosen cloud provider is big enough to have a reputation to lose so that when problems arise, they will make a genuine effort to fix things.
• TREASURES: Make sure your digitalassets are adequately protected with strong passwords – or better, passphrases.
• PRIVACY: Be aware that cloud services are inherently accessible, so consider how you would feel if your cloud content became public. If your content is private, consider using encryption software to make it secure before you store it in the cloud.

Rackspace Advice For Business Cloud Customers

 

• ECONOMICS: Generally, best value solutions are superior to lowest cost. Consider all the factors including support, customer service, reputation, reliability, etc. when measuring value.
• SECURITY: Data security, privacy and intellectual property protection in the cloud computing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model should be approached with exactly the same levels of exhaustive defences as traditional IT security provisioning.
• TRUST: There is often a lack of trust of cloud service providers; 69 per cent of respondents questioned regarding the privacy or security of their information mentioned lack of trust. There is much user education on the cloud still to be done.

Generation Cloud Infographic

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