Economic Geography of the Cloud

Grazed from PSMag. Author: Jim Russell.

If Seattle is the next golden era Detroit, then how is cloud computing the next Model T? As an automobile, the Model T didn’t cater to the rich. Isochronic maps ignore class. The time to move from one part of the world to another depends on more than technological innovations in modes of travel. Even today, the ease of one’s journey to work depends on household wealth. Henry Ford leveled that playing field. How does the cloud level the playing field?

In and of itself, the cloud doesn’t level the playing field. In and of itself, the horseless carriage didn’t level the playing field. Ford took a rich plaything, a novelty, and made it accessible to anyone. Rich or poor, no one was stuck on a railroad track. Harbors or river towns mattered less. Likewise, the cloud expands the geographic possibilities…

The analogy of Ford’s Model T to Amazon’s cloud is incomplete without considering Steve Jobs and the iPhone. Upon second thought, the iPhone is the Model T. The cloud is the pathway without rail. "No matter where you go, there you are."…

Read more from the sourc @ http://www.psmag.com/business-economics/economic-geography-of-the-cloud