Crowd Computing

From Baruchnewmedia

Crowd Computing is a concept that describes a online collaboration project where multiple users share resources and contribute to the same project. Crowd Computing is popular with many business in that it is relatively cheap and brings an abundance of resources to the table.

Netflix is one of the best examples of using cloud computing. Netflix had a software that recommends movies to users but wanted a more efficient system. The company offered one million dollars to the team that can successfully create a program that is at least 10% more efficient than their current system. The one million cash prize was significantly cheaper than what would had cost the company if it had done it in-house.

Crowd sourcing companies

Innocentive - Online company that brings people with specific problems(seekers) to people who have the skills and knowledge to solve those problems(Solvers) for rewards generally money.

Cambrian house - Online Company that brings users with ideas for software together and initiate projects to create those software.

Threadless - T-shirt website where artists submit their work to be voted on, the highest votes works get printed on clothing and sold to the public.

Issues with Cloud computing:

In businesses, there is concern over privacy especially when so many open users are able to access the company's information.

Many users feel they are exploited for their hard work or don't get anything out of it e.g. the losing teams in the Netflix challenge.

There are often only a few users that actually contribute while others rarely even look at the project.

Sources:

http://www.nydailynews.com/tech_guide/2009/09/21/2009-09-21_netflix_prize.html http://innovationzen.com/blog/2006/08/01/top-10-crowdsourcing-companies/