Increasing LTE Capacity Paves the Way For Next-Gen Cloud Services

The next generation of cloud computing services relies on the continued growth of the Longterm Evolution Technology (LTE) mobile network. 

Cloud computing offers companies the option to transfer their IT operations into an on-demand environment, where they can develop, deploy and manage applications, access computing power or storage, and then pay for only the time and capacity they need. Many companies benefit from the provisioning of computing infrastructure resources as a service. In addition to the economic advantages of an on-demand computing environment, companies enjoy the flexibility of being able to scale their services up or down. This is especially true when it comes to mobile devices and the consumerization of IT.

LTE is a wireless broadband technology designed to support mobile broadband Internet access via cell phones and handheld devices. The worldwide increase of cloud-based services, especially for mobile devices, means that companies and users can benefit from anytime/anywhere access to critical business applications and files. Now they can also benefit from increased and faster bandwidth that comes with the next generation of LTE.

Every type of company is a potential candidate for cloud computing. For smaller companies, the cloud provides a low upfront cost of hosting with the ability to scale up on an as-needed basis. A medium-sized company would benefit from immediate access to computing resources that would typically require significant upfront capital and staff to support, as well as a global reach and redundancy that economically may not be realistic. For large companies, the cloud can provide important redundancy and solution scalability. For security reasons, a custom environment may become necessary or it may be time to transfer from a public cloud solution to either a dedicated hosting environment or a hybrid, public/private cloud.

All of these options rely on the means through which data and access is maintained. In the case of LTE, the more expansive the throughput, the more effective it is for both business and personal use. It’s no surprise that smart devices and cloud-based services are driving higher levels of entertainment access to the masses. Soon cloud-based entertainment delivery systems will become device-agnostic and adapt to video streams based on available bandwidth. The distinction between servicing “business” devices and “personal” devices will soon be an arbitrary one.

A larger, faster mobile video ecosystem along with controlling the sheer number and diversity of mobile devices in the workplace, increased data security, infrastructure integrity and combining social media with business processes, all represent significant challenges to IT. The increase in LTE broadband capabilities means increased device use and larger amounts of content. Data security, mobile device use and rampant device disorganization require an already overextended IT to systematize and monitor this ever-expanding range of devices.

These challenges highlight the intersection of a number of issues that may just create the next technological “perfect storm” in personal computing. While these issues pose significant challenges for corporate leaders, IT and consumers at large, there are benefits:

The opportunity rests with a growing area of specialist capability providers that provide the interfaces and platforms to support new services and capabilities that will synergistically compensate for any technology shortfalls. In doing so, providers encourage other developers to build on these interfaces to increase their own value, while strengthening the mobile video ecosystem as a whole.