The cloud for computing is a fascinating structure. I know there are plenty of jokes about the cloud just being someone else's computer, and there are good reasons not to use the cloud. However, there are also lots of good reasons to use the cloud. Whether you choose to embrace it or avoid it, cloud computing is going to be a part of our careers for a long time. The use is growing, and more and more companies are shifting workloads to cloud services.

How that will evolve, especially for data-intensive systems, will be fascinating. One of the interesting changes that seems to be taking places is the growth of database and data stores that fulfill specialized roles for customers. Snowflake might be one of the most well-known examples, but there are plenty more. The number of offerings is growing, and perhaps this is another evolution of how the cloud will integrate into more businesses.

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