Customer Reviews

Dot Cloud: The 21st Century Business Platform Built on Cloud Computing

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Technology tools can fundamentally change how we do things, both in
business and in our personal lives. For example, the advent of the
spreadsheet changed how business people keep track of things,
email changed how we could communicate with one another, and the Web
revolutionized how we could communicate with the world at large.

Technology changes, businesses adapt. Some business exploit new technologies and disrupt their industries. Some businesses keep their heads in the sand and get left behind. Though you've no doubt heard of clouding computing (it's all over the press these days) what you may not realize how cloud computing is going to change the way you work and the way you do business.

This book isn't for geeks, it's for business people who want to know how cloud computing will facilitate new breakthroughs in business innovation, how work gets done in organizations, how companies will interact with each other in value chains, and what we now call `management' will change. One of my favorite chapters is The End of Management, which is about unleashing human potential in organizations. If you are in some way responsible for the success of your company, you should read this book. If you are a CEO or CIO, you should definitely read this book.

I've read most of Peter Fingar's books. He writes on topics at the intersection of business and technology and always keeps you one step ahead. He wrote a best-seller on e-commerce at the onset of the dot-com boom, followed by a book that came out just before the dot-com crash, "The Death of `e' and the Birth of the Real New Economy." His book on business process management helped launch the BPM movement that is center stage in the world of business today. With his background as a computer science professor and long-time practitioner in business, he brings insights that only deep knowledge and experience can offer. Not surprisingly, Fingar now has his head in the clouds, describing the cusp of a new era in business technology. I only recommend this book to business people who want to survive in this new era, and to technical people wanting to educate their business counterparts.

This book is not the result of rigorous research nor is it a dissertation that gives any glimpse into the future of Business or the cloud. There are too many cut/paste from blogs and from unknown writers. I feel like I got robbed. Do not buy it.

This book is hardly suitable as an introduction to cloud computing for anyone. Fingar's objective is similar to Carr's (The Big Switch) which mulls over the impact on business and society instead of providing an overview of the subject. Unfortunately it doesn't compare well to Carr's writing style.

Reading is difficult. You need to to wade through long quotes and follow the author's thought processes which are blended with distractions. Take heart. It is a short book with loads of white space and pictures so you wont't suffer for very long if you don't like it.

If you do have the patience to read diligently then there are actually some interesting facts and details that you might learn. I did.

There's a lot of talk about cloud computing, so much so that the hype curve is going through the roof. Dot Cloud is the first and only book to date that cuts through the hype and gives business people the information and insights they need to fully understand the next wave in business technology and the Internet. If you want a techie book on how to program in the cloud, look elsewhere. If you want to know how the cloud is going to affect your business and change the way you accomplish work, then this is the book to top your reading list. After giving the reader a straight forward and easy-to-read description of what cloud computing is, it moves on how cloud computing enables rapid change in a rapidly changing world.

Peter Fingar's book describes his visionary view of the forces leading to a Cloudy future. Fingar is a noted author of business strategy books, and Dot.Cloud is no exception. Rather than describe in exhaustive detail the technological underpinnings of the Cloud, Fingar provides actionable advice, compelling examples, and inspiring stories as he pontificates on the "21st century business platform". The book is really eight discrete essays, and each explores another aspect of business in the Cloud. There is a heavy emphasis on BPM and end-user interaction and collaboration using technology tools. I highly recommend this important book, especially if your knowledge about the Cloud's business implications is a bit cloudy (5/5).

This is a compelling read for the business professional. In my opinion, it has the necessary technology facts to substantiate the theories about the future of cloud computing.

And the information in the prolog is just down right eye-opening scary!

[...]

Dot.Cloud gives potent explanations and examples of how and why Cloud Computing is happening and the implications of it now and in the future. I found the book very interesting with its socio-political analysis coupled with history lessons in technology and macroeconomics. Definitely very thought provoking and educational.

This book is exceptional! A must read.
Fingar explains the "Cloud" facts in a way that everybody can understand it. Finally a book that has the facts and tells you what to do with them.
Fingar has always been a pioneer in his field, but this time he outdid himself.

This is is a great book for business minded folks, but the material would leave a techie, out in the cold.