We live in an era where everything is in the cloud. But what about the ”private cloud,” the phrase used to describe a cloud computing platform designed to offer the same features and benefits of public cloud systems, but which removes a number of objections to the cloud computing model such as control over enterprise and customer data, worries about security, and issues connected to regulatory compliance.
I like cloud storage and am an avid iCloud user. That’s fine, but I want an easy-to-implement “personal cloud.”
Public clouds services can implement a certain level of security, but private clouds can ensure that operations are kept out of the reach of prying eyes. Personal clouds offer even more security. Since I’m not willing to bet that all my data will be saved and available for me forever in a public cloud, we need more options for setting up personal clouds at home.
That’s why I want Apple to give us the “Apple Serve,” a Mac mini-based, mini-cloud server. What’s needed is a home-based server that can store all my photos, music, movies, etc., and make it readily available to all my Mac and iOS devices.
Sure, there are companies that make network-attached (NAS) device-based clouds, but I’d love to see Apple make one that dies directly into its ecosystem. NAS device should offer a simple operating system that focuses on doing a small subset of tasks as efficiently and securely as possible. The streamlined OS should make a NAS easy to set up and allow for a wide variety of activities.
Doesn’t that sound like something that’s right up Apple’s alley?
The accompanying image is courtesy of HiClipArt.
