"Autodesk shifts design apps to the cloud"

[Bellsey]

I don't think people should assume too much at the moment as I'm sure more information will eventually become available.

Cloud computing and service will suit some people more than others and for me its more about people being able to access the same data from various locations and not perhaps running their apps. Has anyone used asset management systems like Perforce or Alienbrain? These types of systems are perfect for the Cloud, but you still have local versions of data. The systems works on a 'checking out' and 'checking in' process to working, with people working on things locally and then uploading versions and changes. I'm not perhaps totally convinced that user will be able to run their apps and data entirely over the web and cloud, not when I see the data sizes some of our customers are working on. But when I see some film studio having to deal with vendors in global locations and all having to sync up at certain times, I can see how the Cloud can start to be really useful.
Also, I'm sure that some companies will want to run on their own clouds, so if we can enable customers to do that with Autodesk software then, thats a good thing, imo.

[Hirazi Blue]

I don't think people should assume too much at the moment as I'm sure more information will eventually become available.

If this is a development that will take place in the next three years, seemingly no matter what, now seems a perfectly good time to discuss it IMHO as it appears to be quite the "game-changer" for all involved. I think everybody wants to know what this will mean for his or her Autodesk experience. And if Autodesk is confident enough about this development to start talking to the press about it, they now might want to start talking to their clients about it too (so we can all talk facts and not merely have to speculate).
;)

[Bellsey]

don't worry, there is more information coming very soon. From what I have seen, I think it looks very good.
Autodesk haven't made this stuff up overnight and in fact they have been offering cloud-esque services for some time. Some of the other divisions have been ahead of the game on this so Autodesk have had alot of input and experience to draw upon.

Though the press release says that Autodesk expects to offer all its software using the cloud, I don't believe that will actually a complete replacement for the normal desktop experience that we currently know and use. Some software will suit the cloud more than others, and that will probably reflect the scale of offerings that Autodesk will have.

[Hirazi Blue]

Thanks for the info (and the "very soon" is reassuring too)! ;)

[McNistor]

Alternatives are always nice, but I'm skeptical about a lot of things that are firstly presented as "alternatives". Again, we shall wait and see.

[Hirazi Blue]

When Bellsey said "very soon", he actually meant "tomorrow" which is today
This just in, press release: Autodesk Cloud Enables Access to Design Capability from Anywhere, at Anytime

[McNistor]

I have to drink a sip... never have I read such a dry text like in that article

[Rez007]

Here is another move by Autodesk in this direction.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/3801 ... stment.php

[Hirazi Blue]

The main question now remaining, I guess, would be, what Autodesk's future plans for the cloud are for their M&E software specifically, like, you guessed it, Softimage, and within what time-frame these specific M&E plans are to become reality?

[McNistor]

Right now you have on your hdd the software but it's not yours, just rent to you. Some time in the future you won't have it on your PC either. Probably the next step is for one black suit to appear at your door and ask you money for something you will never know. Ha ha!

[Hirazi Blue]

Well, I have sort of learned to live with me not-technically-owning this expensive Autodesk software on my PC, my main problem with software that only exists in the cloud would be simply having to be connected to the cloud at all times to get any work done (or in a slightly different scenario even having to store all my data on AD's cloud).

In my current setup that wouldn't even be possible as my Softimage workstation is never online, utilizing 20 meters of physical firewall (=air) between my internet laptop and my workstation... (and my low-bandwidth internet connection wouldn't help either)
;)

[Rez007]

I personally don't have an issue with the Cloud route - I think it could lead do better things in the future...I think. Look at most AAA games now a days, you pretty much need a broadband connection to play them online. Also, a lot of games have add-on packs that you can only download, therefore you need a connection. I think companies figure that at this day and age, most everyone should be connected to the internet some way or another. Also, I read somewhere that Apple is going to make a huge announcement regarding gaming in the near future, which should be a Cloud based platform...you can read a lot on the internet that industry leaders are suggesting that the Cloud is the real near future for gaming and that new consoles should definitely consider it...If this is the general direction, then I can't see why Autodesk would not do the same. I would assume that in extreme cases where connectivity to the internet is not possible, that maybe something can be arranged at that time with AD - just an assumption. One thing that the Cloud would have a monumental impact on is piracy, which to me, is a great thing.

[Hirazi Blue]

(deleted my post yesterday, because even I could see I was rambling )

While I'm afraid moving to the cloud will in the end become inevitable, I think the 3D DCC world is at a very different point than the gaming world. And I still cannot see the "true" benefits for "our" specific market. I can see some benefits for Autodesk, but not necessarily for its clients. With the gaming world it's different IMHO, they already have "conditioned" their customers a long time ago on the online multiplayer experience, which will be viewed (by most) as a clear benefit to the customer.
Moving the 3D DCC market into the cloud means moving whole businesses into the cloud and some of those businesses (i.e. Autodesk's clients) might want to resist this unless they see some clear and definitive benefit from this move, that outweighs the risks. Battling piracy, as you say, may be one consideration for Autodesk, but it would really be nice to hear/know more about the actual benefits and risks for the clients before we are forced to "transcend", merely because Autodesk wants to.
One thing that, however, troubles me in all this, is the easy assumption that hi-speed broadband internet is available to all. In my case, living in Europe, it would be available to me, at additional cost. But is this really the case "all" over the world?

[Bellsey]

I think at the moment people seem to assume, that whenever they hear the term 'cloud', they immediately think of Autodesk running their software over the cloud leaving nothing installed locally. I'm not saying that isn't possible, but at the moment, that isn't what our cloud services are offering and personally I don't see a massive shift either.
Personally I don't see the 'cloud' replacing actual desktop installed software, not for some time yet anyway. Mainly because I can't see how users can get the performance, but I'm sure it will improve. Plus there is the issue of bandwidth.
I'm not 100% convinced of the gaming space either, yes there is online gaming but with a few exceptions, I don't really think its that enjoyable an experience in some situations. There are still a great deal of gamers who are happy with a single player experience and not every game is suited to online.

However what I can see is more and more services or processing being offloaded or distributed onto the cloud. So, for example things like data access and sharing, simulation processing, GPU processing and rendering being pushed onto cloud services. Which if you read (the dry press release), is pretty much what we are starting to offer.
How this rolls out to the M&E products, it's perhaps too early to day. Some of the requirements are the same for all our customers, but then many industries have their own specific and unique requirements.

[ActionArt]

I think this is a good thing as long as an internet connection is not REQUIRED to operate. I can see a lot of cloud services being very desirable such as simulation computation and rendering. The sooner we get these the better.

I just don't want to have to be connected to work if I don't want to be or can't be. I like to spend a lot of time in Thailand and continue to work but where I go, there is no connection at all. I don't want that to be a problem in the future.

[Rez007]

I can see that being an issue especially if you are in dead spots for connectivity...however, I feel that being required to be connected to use it is a must...even a simple ping (if that even works) for authenticity, or a login system like Steam, is fine by me.