Has the cloud really caught on

I have just been thinking about new technologies and what a few years ago was going to be the next big thing, the cloud. It seems that everyone has heard of it and most individuals and businesses have looked at what it offers, but few people have really embraced it.

From an individuals perspective I use dropbox and google for some online storage, but I have not moved all my data to the cloud and don't feel the need to. Part of me likes the idea that I own my data and have it close to me, and that if I lose the connection to the net I still can use programs and have all my photos and videos. Another problem with the cloud is not the cheap option, it can cost over £5 a month to store a reasonable amount of data, compared to an external 1TB hard drive that I can buy for less than £60.

From a business perspective it is also too expensive at the moment and you certainly need to have confidence in the hosting company. I do however think more and more companies will move to hosted services and that the price will start to come down.

In conclusion I don't think cloud storage has caught on the way people first thought, however over time with the amount you can store going up and the price coming down, more people and businesses will move in the online storage direction.