'Cloud computing' allows users to stay connected 'anywhere, anytime, anyhow', said global software giant Microsoft.
It is in talks with Bahrain's eGovernment Authority to explore ways to create a nation hooked into the latest information technology (IT).
'While the world of the Internet is seamless, it is 'cloud computing' which is the ultimate icing on the cake at the moment,' Microsoft Gulf business manager Zaki Khoury said yesterday.
Bahrain has the potential to launch such a service, he said on the sidelines of the Middle East and North Africa Information Communication Technology (Mena-ICT) Conference, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
'The eGovernment Authority is not averse to the idea and several other private players have also expressed an interest,' said Khoury.
'Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet.
'It is sold on demand, typically by the minute or the hour; it is elastic - a user can have as much or as little of a service as they want at any given time.
'The service is fully managed by the provider - the consumer needs nothing but a personal computer and Internet access and sometimes only a mobile phone.
'It can also be described as a type of Internet hosting where the client leases virtualised, dynamically scalable infrastructure on an as-needed basis.
'Users frequently have the choice of operating system and other infrastructure components. Typically cloud hosting is self-service, billed hourly or monthly, and controlled via a web interface.
'Cloud servers behave in the same manner as physical ones and can be controlled at an administrator or root level, depending on the server type and cloud hosting provider.
Since Bahrain has a very well-developed broadband infrastructure, it is ideal for such a service to take off.
'Hopefully, there would be a great deal of interest generated in this latest development, so that the service takes off soon,' said Khoury.
But he said a lack of innovation was a problem in Bahrain.
'Somehow, there is not enough drive among the population to do something different,' said Khoury.
He said Bahrain should follow the Saudi Arabian model where, even with severe restrictions on women, they are extremely technology-savvy and indulge in stock-trading online as well as do other activities from the confines of their homes.
Khoury said several Microsoft initiatives like Women in Technology (WIT) and eShabab were helping a government drive to enhance IT awareness and making people IT savvy.
'We hope to continue these initiatives but the government, as well as private investors, should support us as well,' he said.
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Quelle/Source: Trade Arabia, 28.01.2010
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