In 2011, ignoring my own advice to never make predictions about technology, I wrote an article on cloud computing in the now-defunct Linux+DVD magazine. ANDn he said that the evolution of software distribution was definitely going towards the cloud.
Although things were not as fast as the experts and I thought, the course seems inevitable. Even more so if the fashion of incorporating artificial intelligence into all software written or to be written ends up becoming a trend.
Despite the delay due to the pandemic, it is the industry itself that seems to be hindering the definitive change in the paradigm. Cloud-enabled devices like the Chromebook are difficult to repair and quickly become out of date. The cheap alternatives, known as Cloudbook are true Frankensteins in which hardware is combined with versions of Windows that are too heavy for them. And, the price of high-end tablets doesn't justify them as a PC replacement.
I don't think there is resistance to change from the average user. The continuous use of smartphones has accustomed them to permanent interaction with the cloud.
Evolution of software distribution
In the early days of the computer industry, companies only sold hardware. The users themselves wrote the software they needed using punch cards.
As computers became smaller and more accessible, hobbyists began to write their own programs. and share them. Programming languages such as Basic became popular, which, using words from the English language, allowed application development without the need to learn machine code or more complex languages.
When computers became popular outside the circle of computer hobbyists, users appeared who did not want or could write their own software and were willing to pay for someone else to do it. Since it was much cheaper to pay for a standardized product than for a custom-made one, a software distribution model based on a magnetic medium emerged. The user did not pay for the physical product but for the right to use it, thus the famous End User License Agreement appeared. This agreement established under what circumstances the product could be used.
Every time a new version came out, the user had to buy a new license for the upgrade or fresh installation.
With the appearance of the Internet and the increase in bandwidth, the physical format is abandoned, replaced by downloads from application stores (By the way, they are the traditional download managers of Linux distributions with a Steve Jobs facelift)
However, the licensing model remains unchanged.
software as a service
In the middle of the first decade of the XNUMXst century, a new model began to take shape which, in reality, is a return to the roots. In the early days of the industry, a user entered information into a terminal that was sent to the central server for processing. The principle of Software as a Service is very similar.
With this mode, the user does not need to have installed more than a browser with Javascript support. The software you need is installed on an external server and the same happens (if the user so wishes) with the work files.
In this case, the user no longer pays for the license but for the access. This can be in exchange for a flat monthly fee, a fee for time or for the number of users or for features.
Where is free and open source software in this?
It is a known fact that the free software movement started because Richard Stallman thought a printer driver was rubbish, asked for the source code to improve it and was denied. At first its development followed the licensing model. Only these did not hinder the modification, copying and distribution of the programs.
The move to the Software as a Service model was done in two ways:
- dual scheme: Companies that offer their product as a web service and a community version under free licenses that the user can install on their own server.
- Self-hosted applications: A community project offers the source code for the user to install on their own web server and use it from another computer from the browser.
In the next article we will discuss the advantages of both models and recommend on-premises alternatives to cloud services.