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Apple Inks Deal to Use Google Cloud Platform for Some iCloud Services
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It's not a hatred of Google. It's discomfort at their business model. If Apple is okay with giving them money for a support service that's their business. Just like Apple buying Samsung and LG components. As long as I don't have to be Google's product or directly support the poor customer support of LG and crappy corporate citizenship of Samsung.
I think your understanding of profitability of cloud services is inaccurate. In Oct 2015, WSJ said this about profitability of Amazon cloud: " Perhaps more significantly, operating profit for the AWS segment more than quadrupled to $521 million, pushing the segment’s margins to 25%. That compares with 8% in the year-ago- quarter."
I think maybe the gang's reading too much into this announcement. I didn't read anything that would speak to any kind of shift in anyone's business or market strategies. Iaas doesn't mean Apple and Google are suddenly not competing in smartphones. Fact is, there are some giant corporations who can build infrastructure more cheaply than others. In my field, we used to build stuff for customers to suit. But increasingly, the smarter move is just to rent capacity in someone else's cloud.
So even if Apple becomes a Google tenant, there's absolutely no reason to worry they'll stop competing with each other in any of the tons of areas they do today.
So even if Apple becomes a Google tenant, there's absolutely no reason to worry they'll stop competing with each other in any of the tons of areas they do today.
Hey, Tim! What happened to "We believe that we need to own and control the primary technologies behind the products that we make."
Apple has signed a deal with Google that will see the Google Cloud Platform providing some of the cloud infrastructure for iCloud and other cloud-based Apple services, reports CRN (via Business Insider). Apple reportedly established a $400 to $600 million deal with Google last last year and has, as a result, "significantly" cut down on its reliance on Amazon Web Services (AWS).
While the money Apple is now paying Google was previously spent on AWS, Apple has not stopped using Amazon's cloud computing services entirely. Apple has never confirmed the cloud services that power iCloud, but past rumors have pointed towards AWS and Microsoft Azure, suggesting Apple will continue using multiple services to meet its needs.
According to The Information's Amir Efrati, who has confirmed Apple's plans, it will take a year for Apple to transition to using Google Cloud Platform.
Since last year, Google has been aggressively pursuing deals for its Google Cloud Platform, led by former VMware CEO Diane Greene. Google and Amazon have been involved in ongoing pricing wars, but Google claims to be the "price/performance leader" in public cloud and says its Google Cloud Platform is between 15 and 41 percent less expensive than AWS.
In the future, Apple may scale back on the money it spends on third-party cloud computing platforms, based on its data center plans. Apple is building new data centers in Ireland, Denmark, Reno, and Arizona, plus it is expanding its existing data center in Prineville, Oregon.
In Arizona, Apple's data center will be located at the former GT Advanced sapphire plant and has been described as a "command center" for Apple's global data network. Apple says the Arizona location is "one of the largest investments" the company has made.
Article Link: Apple Inks Deal to Use Google Cloud Platform for Some iCloud Services
I foresee problems ahead.
If Apple sets up the encryption themselves but puts the data in Googles cloud it will be almost as secure as if Apple did it themselves? Why less? In theory, Google could give someone (FBI?) access to the encrypted chunk of data and let them try brute force decrypting it without interference from Apple. Other than that, it's pretty darn secure regardless.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Could someone find some evidence that says that these Google servers run on Samsung hardware and post it? Can't we go for a full fan meltdown instead of just half of one? 
Time to bring back the Xserve, improve OSX Server, and self-host.
You post got me concerned. I went to Google (Alphabet) web site and checked their product list:
I could not find myself among their product offerings.
Neither is Google.
Everybody "cooks" with the same water.
Both Google and Apple don't use their own storage hardware in those centres or even control backend security. That's subcontracted to data storage companies. I used to work for them. Many if not all, use disk-level encryption. Apple controls the front-end and physical location. Google is in the business of data mining and generating ad revenue, so yes, I think Apple's server farms are more secure.
News the other day said Dropbox is moving 500 PB of data from Amazon to their own servers. Now Apple is moving their iCloud storage from Amazon to Google.
I wouldn't wanna be Amazon right now with all so much expensive hardware, probably 600 PB of hard drive space or more going unused in the span of 12 months. Will take a while for other smaller companies to use that much disk space.
I wouldn't wanna be Amazon right now with all so much expensive hardware, probably 600 PB of hard drive space or more going unused in the span of 12 months. Will take a while for other smaller companies to use that much disk space.
GCP is far superior to AWS in almost all ways. It's also probably 30% less expensive on list prices.
Apple aren't dumb. iCloud is terrible because web engineers know Apple can't do services as well as Google, so why not go work at Google instead? This way, a familiar platform is available and they can start trying to recruit those people.
As for any perceived security issues: it's highly unlikely that the FBI has a tap into Google's network. The NSA might but that's irrelevant since they tap everything.
GCP is actually super secure in the sense that all data is encrypted at rest. As long as Apple follows best practice in only communicating over HTTPS/TLS, this is no less secure than Apple's own DCs.
Apple aren't dumb. iCloud is terrible because web engineers know Apple can't do services as well as Google, so why not go work at Google instead? This way, a familiar platform is available and they can start trying to recruit those people.
As for any perceived security issues: it's highly unlikely that the FBI has a tap into Google's network. The NSA might but that's irrelevant since they tap everything.
GCP is actually super secure in the sense that all data is encrypted at rest. As long as Apple follows best practice in only communicating over HTTPS/TLS, this is no less secure than Apple's own DCs.
Ummm...Apple have all the money in the world and hundreds of gigantic data farms, why are they not hosting iCloud completely by themselves?
A prudent move as Apple implements cloud services poorly. Apple conceptually defines cloud services very well. If this move helps Apple implement their conceptual designs better, then that would be a big plus.
True. Although I referred to web/database servers rather than file servers. Nobody can build the entire specter of required hardware and software in-house anymore.
This could also go along with the upcoming encryption improvements to iCloud
Can somebody explain to me how iCloud encryption is helped by hosting the data with a company whose only business model is to scan every bit to profile me?
This is pretty much the last straw for me. I've worked so hard to eliminate Google from my digital life, and now this?
How private is Elementery OS?
As I indicated, "if the tweet is accurate," I'm not the one who tweeted it. Overall profitability also doesn't indicate profitability for one client. I don't have any information on AWS's profitability (or lack thereof) on Apple's iCloud business. The question is, does Amir Efrati (the guy who tweeted)?
Probably data growth/peak usage (eg. iPhone rollouts) not keeping up with their own forecast models. Besides, at the backend, every tech company uses many others' products.
If properly encrypted, unless given the key by the uploader, Google couldn't access the data if they wanted to.
That link is for a two year old article and pertains to Gmail.
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I'm not worried that Google will snoop my iCloud data. That'll be fenced off from the data mining Google is known for. However, it's a perception problem and your reaction to these news proves it.
iCloud has always been on a mixture of Amazon, Google, and Microsoft cloud services. This isn't new.