How Apple’s Fervent Push Into Cloud Computing Benefits You
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Apple is on a hiring spree scooping up new employees with strong backgrounds in cloud computing.
According to a report in Protocol, Apple has lured this talent from competitors such as AWS, Dockers, and more. It’s a sign that Apple is getting serious about cloud computing and might be building a network to compete with Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.Â
There’s broad consensus among professionals that Apple’s cloud computing platform lags behind its competitors.
A recent book painted a grim picture of the cloud computing team, which was “in a state of tumult.”
The engineers were mostly contractors who often fought over resources and project priorities. Apple largely ignored the division and allowed the team to rehash existing, older technology instead of innovating.
That old way of doing things is slowly beginning to change, and this may have a profound effect on users.
iCloud Would Run Faster and Smoother
Apple right now contracts with Amazon’s AWS service and others for iCloud. Apple could break away from these third-party services and host all of its iCloud platforms, allowing them to run faster and smoother. This would mean fewer issues with syncing your reminders across devices or downloading your old photos
AppleTV+ to Rival Netflix
Cloud computing is integral to the success of Apple’s new AppleTV+ television streaming service. Apple could use this newly hired cloud computing talent to build a streaming service as robust as Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.
Ultra-HD Apple Music
Apple Music relies heavily on cloud computing to store and stream music and podcasts. Though it already works well across Apple’s lineup of devices, the streaming side of the service could be improved. A dedicated network would allow for higher-quality music delivered more rapidly to your iPhone or iPad. Maybe Apple could build a better recommendation engine, improved podcasting support, and additional social features.
Improved Management of iOS App Data
Developers currently use Google, Amazon, and Azure to build the backend of their mobile apps. Apple could improve its cloud services to allow developers to use Apple instead of a third-party. Because Apple would control the mobile OS and the backend cloud service, the company could offer features not available with a third-party service. These changes would be seamless to Apple users, but they could allow developers to add new cloud features to their mobile apps. These features could be modular, allowing users to choose and subscribe to only the features they want.
Maps for You
Apple Maps is another cloud service that could get a boost from being hosted exclusively on Apple’s self-made cloud platform. The company could speed up mapping, rerouting, and more. It also could expand its Map features and tailor-make them for each user. Imagine an Apple Maps that knows you are commuting and could place a breakfast order at your local bagel shop.
Siri on Steroids
Apple has been steadily improving Siri over the years, but the voice assistant still needs improvement. Imagine a Siri that integrates more tightly with Apple Maps, Apple Music, and other cloud services. Apple can build these integrations and expand Siri’s capabilities from the ground up on its own, more robust and secure cloud platform.
