The topic of network performance is one of the favorites when it comes to discuss viability of cloud storage and cloud systems. Will it perform well for slow network and disconnects? In my view, technology is going towards better transparency of network for connected and disconnected apps. And, for the sake of truth, most of us are using it already today. Think about our loved and hated Outlook. It syncs data transparently and practically seamlessly for users.
However, mobile world is a bit different. Mobile device memory, OS and browser capabilities are different. With growing capability of mobile devices, to leverage device storage can be a straightforward solution to solve slowness of network (especially when work with heavy information such as CAD data). Engadget article Google Drive dev tools promise better and more powerful apps shows new capability of Google Drive API available for Android devices. If you are developer, watch next 6 minutes video.
The following passage is key in my view.
The main attraction is a feature called transparent offline syncing, which, for users, means that cloud storage is treated the same way as local storage. So, you get the benefits of massive amounts of storage provided by GDrive, without needing to spend on more storage in your phone. And, should you not have a good enough connection to the cloud, the API automatically shifts to storing your data locally until it has good enough reception to send it to the servers. Because of this, developers can design more capable, powerful and generally better app user experiences for less endowed (read: cheaper) and flagship handsets alike.
What is my conclusion? As we move forward, technological showstoppers will disappear. I can see CAD viewers application leverage transparent offline syncing to bring better viewer performance and experience. Later, I can see cloud data management apps (read “Cloud PDM”) smoothly transfer data from devices to cloud storage. Technological leaders must take a note. Just my thoughts…
Best, Oleg
