A report from Cult of Mac was mentioned today on MacRumors (link) regarding Apple’s possible integration of revised Time Capsule hardware to be launched alongside their long-rumored iCloud service.
I can see where Apple might be going with this idea.
I believe the Time Capsule integration with the iCloud service will form a hybrid cloud. Data can be synchronized to both the off-premise iCloud service as well as to your on-premise Time Capsule. When you are within range of your Time Capsule, data will be accessed locally, bypassing your Internet connection entirely. When you are out and about, data will be accessed from Apple’s iCloud service remotely through whatever Internet connection you happen to be using. This approach would also answer one of the most frequently asked questions in regard to cloud services: how do I access my data if my Internet connection is unavailable?
I don’t believe the iCloud service will access your data directly from the Time Capsule over the Internet for two reasons. First, bandwidth caps are all the rage with telcos these days and more and more people are being subject to them. Second, many home Internet connections are asymmetric, with the upload speed dwarfed by the download speed. If you decided to stream a movie over the Internet from your Time Capsule, the potential to degrade the Internet connection for anyone else who happens to be using your Time Capsule’s Internet connection would be too great.
I also don’t believe that this new Time Capsule will be required for iCloud to work. It will, however, be pushed as an add-on that enhances the experience.
Will this be the approach Apple takes? We’ll find out tomorrow.
