“The Cloud” has slightly different meanings for different people and in different contexts. But in most cases it is the term for the rich and powerful environment that provides access to applications, content and data from resources most of us do not even have to know or care about. From the end user perspective it’s just there and available. And accessible from almost any device you can name from desktop, set top, portable, handheld or any number of other devices. It is powerful, convenient, cost effective and gets our requests fulfilled.
But did you know that today’s “Cloud” is just a more evolved and ubiquitous form of another technology-enabled environment that existed in its prime in the mid 1970s and had its beginning more than 50 years ago? It was called Computer Timesharing. Stay tuned right here for the first of an upcoming multipart blog that will bring you descriptions of why it came into being, what it was, how it was used and how it was powered. It changed many key aspects of computing from networks to customer support-pioneering things we take for granted today!
This is a blog by people that were there as developers, providers, support people, operations people and end users. The users were scientists, engineers, computer professionals, business people and government agencies. And many others. It touched them all, gave great value and led the way to today’s Cloud…coming January 30!
Do you have firsthand experience from the 60s or 70s in computer timesharing? Think you might have a story or commentary that could be a new blog posting in our series and evoke comments from others? If so please contact us to discuss getting it into a blog and adding to our recounting of computer timesharing and its role in developing critical technologies, services and policies for today’s Cloud…
This is the intro of what’s to come….There are over 20 topics already identified for inclusion in this series of blogs. The best way to get each topic covered with interesting and meaningful content is for them to be written by people who were there during the era-developers, end users, support people, operations people and others. If this is you and you would like to consider contributing a segment please contact Mike Humphries at mhumphries.sisig@gmail.com. I can send you the current topic list and arrange to talk with you about your ideas as a potential contributor…Mike