Cloud Computing and the Relevance of Geography

Why is the adoption of cloud computing sluggish in Europe, but faster in the United States? A big part of the answer lies in the way information is allowed to pass between countries. Because Europe is a compendium of nations, the idea of passing information freely over borders still causes jowls to quake. The question is: should geographical boundaries play the kind of roles they used to in the 20th century, in an era where this kind of thinking may be outmoded?

The de facto truth is that the internet has essentially dampened the relevance of geography. While physical locations still play a role in commerce, the drive behind commerce and innovation is often developed all over the globe. There is no longer a creative ‘hub’ in the traditional historical sense; different cities across the globe can each lay claim to simultaneously having some influence over global intellectual development.

The conceptual step in abandoning geography lies in seeing the world as being divided not into physical terrain, but rather skill-set terrain. The internet has enabled like-minded people to form highly concentrated groups focused on achieving specific goals. ‘Globalization’ may unexpectedly produce a kind of hyper-specificity never seen before. This is certainly the case with the wealthy, who long ago formed their own world that is not centered in any particular capital or country, but rather has outlets in almost every major city and country across the planet.

This has started to happen with ordinary industries, on a scale previously only available to the wealthy. Will this concentration of statisticians, doctors, engineers, architects, software developers and others create an unprecedented advancement in collective knowledge and ability? The early results seem to indicate that this is already happening. A program that enabled doctors from multiple continents and universities to combine their research on Alzheimer’s disease was successful, eliminating duplication in trials and creating more effective drugs.

To return to the example of cloud computing, Europe is unable to participate fully because it can’t let go of the idea of physical infrastructure. Making the leap to an abstract notion of community is frightening, but the rewards may be well worth the effort.