Apple wants to bring its iCloud infrastructure in house to improve security
Apple’s goal to improve security by moving its iCloud infrastructure completely in house has run into issues. That’s according to a new report from The Information.
An eye on security
Currently, iCloud traffic is handled by Amazon Web Services and Microsoft’s Azure. Apple has also recently tapped Google to assist with the massive task.
And that latest move, according to the site, was a setback for Apple’s plan to ditch any cloud vendors. Here’s more from the report:
“The fact that Apple now has gone back and signed a deal with Google basically says they don’t have as much faith in doing this internally as they thought they did,” one of these people says.
The main driver behind Apple’s initiative is a familiar one – security. The company is fearful that various parts of the infrastructure – including server hardware – could possibly be intercepted before being delivered. A third party could then modify or add different firmware.
A source told the publication that Apple is being vigilant to verify that hardware received hasn’t been modified, even if that means examining individual motherboard components.
Building server hardware in-house would alleviate that fear.
Project McQueen to the rescue?
Apple believes that the cost savings are so substantial that building its own cloud network could pay for itself within as little as three years.
Just last week, news leaked that Apple has named the infrastructure initiative “Project McQueen.”
To help become self-sufficient, Apple has also apparently purchase land in both Hong Kong and China.
A number of other tech companies like Dropbox and Facebook have also focused on building their own cloud infrastructures. The major plus in doing that is the cost of data storage and transmission is significantly lowered.
Apple believes that the cost savings are so substantial that building its own cloud network could pay for itself within as little as three years.