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Utility computing is a computer service where the consumer pays for the resources they use, not the hardware. It can be a savings or loss depending on usage. Large companies like Sun, HP, and IBM offer this service, but experts warn of potential data integrity issues. Small businesses with extensive computing needs may benefit from utility computing.
People who come up with terms for computer functions sometimes don’t have much imagination. If you’ve given enough thought to the term utility computing, you could probably figure out what it means. Utility computing is a form of computer service whereby the company providing the service charges you for the amount of usage. Think of the electric company or the water company and you will have it.
In this scenario, you as the consumer pay for the resources you consume, not for the resources the utility computing provider must provide to use them. In other words, you don’t pay for the hardware. Depending on how much you use computer services in a given period of time, this can either be a savings or a loss.
Sun was the first to offer utility computing, in 2000. Hewlett-Packard followed a year later. Other big players, including IBM, jumped on the utility computing bandwagon in the intervening years. With such large market forces behind it, utility computing appears to be a thing of the future.
However, some experts warn it’s not as idyllic as it sounds. He thinks of the electricity company, for example. Where does your electricity come from? You know? Does your electric company have a grid with your name on it, and that grid only gives off power designated for you? Obviously not.
This is one of the dangers of utility computing. Your computer services will come from what is essentially a large vat, serving not only you, but a host of other customers. This might be fine if all you want is somewhere to store your data or have it analyzed once a year for sales purposes, but if you rely on utility computing to meet your day-to-day, minute-by-minute needs, you might want to pay more attention to the integrity of the data and services you get from that utility computing vendor.
However, if you’re a small business owner who, despite your size and employee base, has extensive computing needs, utility computing could help keep you in business. You may have hardware needs that you can never dream of providing with your limited budget, but you can afford to “rent” through utility computing. This is the kind of service that Sun, HP, IBM and others are hoping is their ticket to another market for their services.
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