DZone
Thanks for visiting DZone today,
Edit Profile
  • Manage Email Subscriptions
  • How to Post to DZone
  • Article Submission Guidelines
Sign Out View Profile
  • Post an Article
  • Manage My Drafts
Over 2 million developers have joined DZone.
Log In / Join
Refcards Trend Reports
Events Video Library
Over 2 million developers have joined DZone. Join Today! Thanks for visiting DZone today,
Edit Profile Manage Email Subscriptions Moderation Admin Console How to Post to DZone Article Submission Guidelines
View Profile
Sign Out
Refcards
Trend Reports
Events
View Events Video Library
Zones
Culture and Methodologies Agile Career Development Methodologies Team Management
Data Engineering AI/ML Big Data Data Databases IoT
Software Design and Architecture Cloud Architecture Containers Integration Microservices Performance Security
Coding Frameworks Java JavaScript Languages Tools
Testing, Deployment, and Maintenance Deployment DevOps and CI/CD Maintenance Monitoring and Observability Testing, Tools, and Frameworks
Culture and Methodologies
Agile Career Development Methodologies Team Management
Data Engineering
AI/ML Big Data Data Databases IoT
Software Design and Architecture
Cloud Architecture Containers Integration Microservices Performance Security
Coding
Frameworks Java JavaScript Languages Tools
Testing, Deployment, and Maintenance
Deployment DevOps and CI/CD Maintenance Monitoring and Observability Testing, Tools, and Frameworks

Integrating PostgreSQL Databases with ANF: Join this workshop to learn how to create a PostgreSQL server using Instaclustr’s managed service

Mobile Database Essentials: Assess data needs, storage requirements, and more when leveraging databases for cloud and edge applications.

Monitoring and Observability for LLMs: Datadog and Google Cloud discuss how to achieve optimal AI model performance.

Automated Testing: The latest on architecture, TDD, and the benefits of AI and low-code tools.

Related

  • The Future Trends Driving Open-Source Database Programs
  • Most Influential IT Trends for 2021 on Ensuring Business Success
  • Comparing Pulsar and Kafka From a CTO’s Point of View
  • The Bots Are Coming!

Trending

  • Selecting the Right Automated Tests
  • Effective Tips for Debugging Complex Code in Java
  • LLMs for Bad Content Detection: Pros and Cons
  • Unraveling Lombok's Code Design Pitfalls: Exploring Encapsulation Issues
  1. DZone
  2. Data Engineering
  3. Big Data
  4. 5 Innovative Uses for Cloud Technology

5 Innovative Uses for Cloud Technology

You already know the basics when it comes to cloud computing: sharing files, storing things so they're easily accessible, and organizing big data are some of the key aspects of using the cloud. However, some of the coolest things happening in cloud computing today are seriously innovative and delightfully surprising.

Sam Bradford user avatar by
Sam Bradford
·
Apr. 24, 16 · Opinion
Like (4)
Save
Tweet
Share
13.25K Views

Join the DZone community and get the full member experience.

Join For Free

You already know the basics when it comes to cloud computing: sharing files, storing things so they're easily accessible, and organizing big data are some of the key aspects of using the cloud. However, some of the coolest things happening in cloud computing today are seriously innovative and delightfully surprising.

Parking Cars in the Cloud

ParknCloud is a parking app and program for both users and municipalities. Basically, it uses cloud storage to share its parking software, which removes the need for parking meters and loose change when people park their cars. Cities and towns can set up a "virtual parking environment," which consumers can access via the app. Parking fees get paid via cloud computing. It also probably helps people avoid parking tickets! ParknCloud was one of the Cloud Innovation World Cup winners in 2015.

Custom Cloud City Websites

Amazon throws an annual City on a Cloud Innovation Challenge, and awards municipalities who find creative ways to use the cloud. In 2015, Louisville, Kentucky was one of the winners with their Louisville Metro Data Initiative. Louisville created an Open Data Portal meant to give citizens more access to government and to provide transparency. Citizens can look at anything from government salaries to city expenditures.

Cloud Computing as a Heat Source

With attributes like document security and easy file sharing, cloud computing is seriously amazing. Now, it's a physical heat source. Quarnot Computing developed the Q.rad heater, which put them on the list of Cloud Innovation World Cup winners for 2015. This ingenious heater actually takes the heat that computer processors generate and turns it into free heat for homes and businesses. It's connected to the internet, too, which is where it gets all its instructions to work.

Car GeoLocations on the Cloud

Modern vehicles create a lot of data that few people are exploring. Another Cloud Innovation World Cup winner, Nebula Systems Ltd, developed the MECH5 platform. This cloud-based analytics platform is able to generate and report tons of specific vehicle data from connected cars. The objectives of the platform include making diagnosis and repair easier, reducing vehicle maintenance costs, and providing a safer driving experience. When it comes to gathering this kind of data, which can be extremely personal, proper cloud security is key, which is why anyone looking to use the MECH5 platform should have a solid security protocol in place.

Cloud-Accessible Historical Information

Image title

Image via Flickr by Ken Lund

Chicago is another of Amazon's City on a Cloud Innovation Challenge winners. They created an open source website called OpenGrid, which gives access to city information, including historical data sources. Chicago residents can search their neighborhoods for all kinds of imaginable information. The coolest part is the open source nature of the site: people can contribute to the code itself, and the design makes it easy for businesses to get what they need from it.

These innovations are just the beginning; cloud computing will continue to develop into new technologies that we couldn't have dreamed of even a few years ago.

Cloud computing Big data IT Open source

Opinions expressed by DZone contributors are their own.

Related

  • The Future Trends Driving Open-Source Database Programs
  • Most Influential IT Trends for 2021 on Ensuring Business Success
  • Comparing Pulsar and Kafka From a CTO’s Point of View
  • The Bots Are Coming!

Comments

Partner Resources

X

ABOUT US

  • About DZone
  • Send feedback
  • Careers
  • Sitemap

ADVERTISE

  • Advertise with DZone

CONTRIBUTE ON DZONE

  • Article Submission Guidelines
  • Become a Contributor
  • Visit the Writers' Zone

LEGAL

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy

CONTACT US

  • 3343 Perimeter Hill Drive
  • Suite 100
  • Nashville, TN 37211
  • support@dzone.com

Let's be friends: