Utility Computing

In the late 90s, ('98 or '99) IT departments were running around ragged trying to prepare for Y2K! For the company I worked for at the time network switching was just becoming affordable but IT systems in general were less than stable, except the beloved Netware servers {tear}. IT Departments rarely had the tools to properly diagnose the problems of their Enterprise systems.  

I recall reading an article in a "trade rag" that has stuck with me my whole career since. It began by fantasizing about computer and network technology that worked as well as the light switch on your wall. Wow! What a concept. Wouldn't it be nice to not be so "busy"? If things just worked we would have time to research other solutions to help our users work more efficiently with their time and money.

The article discussed using providers or Application Service Providers (ASPs) that would specialize in applications or computing power. In the 90s there were many barriers to this dream becoming a reality. Forget that Y2K was keeping the cost of new equipment at a premium and the lack of applications to facilitate a reliable ASP. The biggest hurdle was the bandwidth to run client/server applications as well as having an on premise. 

Of course mainframes and green screens had been doing this for years. But this was the NINETIES! We were nearly to the reality of living like the Jetsons in "THE YEAR 2000!" as the old Conan bit goes. 

It seems that Amazon really started making this a reality around 2006 and in 2008 Dell attempted to trade mark Cloud Computing

Now 20 years later we have many many utility type or "cloud" companies but there is plenty of room for improvement. Too often someone's "cloud" solution simply adds a data silo or what I like to call an application silo that doesn't work with your over all systems.

That is where Digital Plains comes in. It is our mission to achieve or come incredibly close to providing IT services with the consistency, flow, intuitive... an extension of you. 

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