Have you been exploring the cloud computing business paradigm?  Perhaps you’ve heard it getting louder over the last few years?  It certainly seems to be the case particularly in the last 6-12 months as the economic situation and environmental sustainability concerns have amplified those aspects of cloud computing.

Some will point out the lack of standards, privacy, security and data concerns, and rightfully so.  However, we’ve seen this story play out before so lets put it in context.  Other common refrains of paradigm shifts were similar.

• Who needs a personal computer in every household?
• The internet is only for academic and scientific research.
• Give it (Linux) away for free?  Where’s the money in that?
• IPTV? My TV is fine, why would I want IP Television?

As one who has worked through many of these business and technology shifts (pre-web Internet, pc adoption, mainframe to client/server, hosting, outsourcing / offshoring), I can state with confidence that cloud computing will alter the business landscape.  So why wait?