Alibaba is taking computing to the next level, with its lead position in pocket PCs. Last week, the company announced its first cloud computer, named Wuying, to leverage its cloud architecture. Built like a power bank, the device can be connected to any screen; it can then start using the internet to leverage a host of application and services. Although Alibaba plans to target the enterprise market, eventually, it will roll out the service for home-users. The pocket device has a lighter CPU, as it accesses most of its services and computing from the cloud. People can customise their experience and buy more computing power if they wish to access more. This on-demand feature is available for adjusting most of the specifications. The company also said that people could pre-load a Linux or Windows system on the cloud for a computing experience they are accustomed to.
However, the gains from cloud computing are not lost on other tech giants. Google is continuing its Chromebook project, and, increasingly, Microsoft is making available a lot of its services through cloud apart from providing cloud solutions. If anything, cloud interactions are expected to increase, and companies may launch more products leveraging the cloud architecture. But, as more data is moved online and to off-site servers, there is a need to also work on cybersecurity—still an area of concern. Cloud computing, meanwhile, will make PCs more affordable and within reach of many. Besides, it can also revolutionise education in countries like India, where only 25% of school students have access to a computer.
