Personal cloud is “the individual’s collection of digital content, services and apps which are seamlessly accessible across any device. The personal cloud is not a tangible entity, but rather the realization of four different types of experience in which users store, synchronize, stream and share content on a contextual basis, moving from one platform, screen and location to another. Founded on interconnected services and applications, it both reflects and sets consumers’ expectations for how next-generation computing services will work.”

1. The Shift toward Personal Cloud Technologies
By: Ahmed Banafa, Distinguished Tenured Staff | Faculty | SME | E-Learning Expert | Four-time
winner of instructor of the year award
Have you ever used Dropbox, Google Drive, SkyDrive or other cloud storage services to store
documents, pictures or videos? If you did, you are already using “Personal Cloud” technology, but
before we start talking technical about this fairly new concept, let’s go back to the basics and explain
few things: definition, components, benefits, and types of Personal Cloud.
What is Personal Cloud?
Personal cloud is “the individual’s collection of digital content, services and apps which are
seamlessly accessible across any device. The personal cloud is not a tangible entity, but rather the
realization of four different types of experience in which users store, synchronize, stream and share
content on a contextual basis, moving from one platform, screen and location to another. Founded on
interconnected services and applications, it both reflects and sets consumers’ expectations for how
next-generation computing services will work.” (Gartner research, 2013)
There are three major components to a Personal Cloud
1. Data
You decide which data to store, which to delete or modify. While your data is accessible over
the network, nobody can access or use your data without your permission. You decide which
data you share with whom and when to revoke that privilege.
2. Apps
You decide which apps from which vendors you use with your data.
3. Terms
You define your own terms of service for anybody interacting with the data or the apps on your
personal cloud. You can easily move your personal cloud to a competing hosting vendor if you
so desire.

2. How does this benefit the typical user?
 Enjoy the same experience regardless of hardware device or OS.
 Deploy new devices in seconds by downloading all of your settings, files and personalization
information.
 Intelligent personal cloud security will scan the connection as well as the end-point, see if it’s
secure and always deliver data over a secured connection.
Types of Personal Cloud
There are two types of Personal Cloud: Public Cloud Server Services and Personal Cloud Storage:
1. Public cloud servers services such as Dropbox, Box, iCloud or Google Drive offer the chance
to easily store your data and then access it from any of your devices. But while the services are
secure, generally immune to disasters and usually offer several gigabytes of space for free, but there
are problems when you use a public cloud storage service, you essentially give up control of the data.
It's stored on distant servers, often with many copies spread throughout the world. Even if you erase a
file, you'll never know if it's truly gone.
In 2011, Amazon’s cloud-based services went down and sequentially took down several other online
services, including Reddit and Foursquare. This happened again in 2012, when electrical storms hit
Amazon.com servers and in turn disrupted the services of Instagram, Pinterest, and Netflix. Popular
cloud file-sharing service Dropbox had problems with username and password security in 2011,
leaving users’ files public for hours. These events, while rare, can permanently destroy some of users’
data. A 2013 survey by Symantec suggests that 43% of cloud computing users have lost data in the
cloud and only been able to restore from their own backups.
2. Personal Cloud Storage, this method combines the best of both worlds by storing files on a local
networked drive and allowing you to retain full control over your data, while still making files
available just about anywhere you can get online. Rather than having your data stored on an
anonymous server (or series of servers) spread across the globe, it is right next to your router. (On the
other hand, you're vulnerable to a personal disaster, like a fire or flood , so it's a good idea to arrange
for off-site backups).The data is protected and encrypted, and when you delete something -- whether
it's an embarrassing photo or confidential financial document , you know it's gone. Companies like
Seagate, WD, and D-Link has full lines of devices to build your own Personal Cloud.
The Future?
According to Gartner research we are entering “The Era of Personal Cloud in 2014”: The push for
more personal cloud technologies will lead to a shift toward services and away from devices. The type
of device one has will be less important, as the personal cloud takes over some of the role that the
device has traditionally had with multiple devices accessing the personal cloud.

3. So what is the future? Maybe this statement will help “Personal Cloud is a fairly new idea. It has
been compared to the wild idea back in the 1970's that everybody could have a Personal Computer,
Could it be the same for Personal Clouds?”
References
http://generatecomputer.blogspot.com/2012/03/gartner-cloud-personnel-will-replace.html
http://www.seagate.com/do-more/what-is-personal-cloud-master-dm/
http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/1947315
https://www.gartner.com/doc/2663122
http://www.cso.com.au/article/533766/seven_technology_predictions_2014/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterhigh/2013/10/14/gartner-top-10-strategic-technology-trends-for-2014/
http://personal-clouds.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/28477/personal-cloud
http://www.seagate.com/solutions/cloud/consumer-cloud/
http://personal-clouds.org/logo/
http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2013/09/10/what-personal-cloud-means-for-consumers-
and-enterprises/
http://www.gartner.com/it-glossary/personal-cloud
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9239223/Here_there_everywhere_3_personal_cloud_storage
_systems