The danger that awaits you from the cloud

The cloud is not new, and so we are able to collect practical information as users report the experiences from current and earlier experiments. A lot of the discussion is happening over at Deelip.com.

See http://www.deelip.com/?p=2209#comment-46777548, for example, where a user reports he found that 3DVia strips solid data from files he saved:

Now we have one vendor denying users access to their own data. Our dystopian future could be like a interminable cell phone contract for manufacturers.

At this point, I see just two benefits to the cloud:

• Access data "anywhere" (although the "anywhere" claim is part-myth, and vendors will be forced to add footnoted disclaimers, exceptions, exemptions, and "nothing's our fault"-isms).

• Prevention of piracy when users can no longer "steal" software. Problem is, it looks like there might be the possibility that some CAD vendors themselves could become the pirates when they "steal" user-created data, accidentally or otherwise.

I've noted before the rush to embrace personal computing revolution that freed us from the tyranny of centralized computing. I am baffled by the urgency to return to the bad old days.

Comments

[Patrick EMIN]

As allways, the truth is in the middle, simply give users the choice to store their data where they want...

[Account Deleted]

I have this sinking feeling that some CAD vendors will take this potentially wonderful thing called the cloud and screw it up so bad that nobody will ever consider using it. And that would be a very sad thing.

[Dave Ault]

This is funny and sad at the same time. I find it amusing that a company like Dassault is going to probably use as selling points the promises to keep data secure and accurate with great throughput and lower costs blah blah. Isn't this the same company that was involved in the Airbus wiring fiasco? I think that their future market may be those who can't leave for legacy file problems. If your business model means having to have customers data as a hostage to keep customers you just may be in trouble.

Not one of these cloud vendor/proponents has demonstrated provable savings and efficiency. But they have come up with data captivity schemes and forced permanent payment plans with no appeal possible for users who afterall created the data to begin with.

[R. Paul Waddington]

Guys, I watch and read with interest you all dance around this subject and it makes me smile.

There are benefits and traps but what NOBODY should forget; it is not companies who are making these decisions. It is individuals - hiding behind a companies shield - and for the same reasons highlighted by my attention to licencing and subsequently the surreptitious use, by vendors (individuals), of Trojan software to remove customer data. ‘They’ say they don't and have never done so and yet are NEVER being prepared to provide a written assurance, in a legally enforceable form; proving once and for all to give any CAD company more of your trust is foolishness in the extreme.

On an alternate note: CAD data in cloud has the benefit that none of us need ever sign a NDA ever again as it would be pointless for an individual to sign an NDA, and take responsibility, for data, over which he will have no control? ;-)