What are the Consequences for Twitter Users if Google Cloud Pulls the Plug?
Key Highlights :
The cloud is an assembly of computing resources that are remotely accessible over the internet, and it has become an increasingly popular business model for enterprises large and small. Currently, a handful of players dominate this market, with Amazon Web Services (AWS) leading the way. Twitter has a multi-year contract with Google Cloud, and it is reportedly disputing its Google Cloud bill as it seeks to renegotiate its contract with Google. This raises the question, what will the consequences be for Twitter users if Google Cloud pulls the plug on the platform?
Reliability and scalability are key requirements a company will have of its cloud service provider, and redundancy is key for reliability. Redundancy means that if one data centre goes down, there are multiple others with duplicate data that can seamlessly step into service. This allows peak traffic periods to be managed without loss of performance.
The dispute between Twitter and Google Cloud appears to be rooted in a disagreement over service quality and performance. Twitter doesn’t think it’s getting value for money, and is withholding the latest payment in its US$1 billion contract with Google Cloud. Under the contract, Google Cloud hosts many of Twitter’s trust and safety services.
If the disagreement isn’t resolved by the end of the month, and if Twitter severs ties with Google Cloud, this could seriously threaten its ability to fight spam, remove child sexual abuse material and generally protect accounts. Additionally, Google currently allows Twitter users to sign up with their Google account, and Twitter profiles are highly ranked in Google searches, by virtue of Twitter’s close ties with Google.
The dispute can be understood as yet another attempt by Twitter to radically reduce operating costs. Twitter also has a multi-year cloud computing contract with AWS to offer a host of functions, and it has withheld payments from Amazon in the past.
It’s difficult to predict the outcome of the dispute between Twitter and Google Cloud, but it’s likely Twitter will take whatever course of action helps the company save money. In a worst-case scenario, Twitter may collapse or destabilise if certain elements within it go offline. This would be in nobody’s best interest, so it’s more likely Twitter and Google Cloud will find a mutually agreeable way forward.
Ultimately, the dispute between Twitter and Google Cloud is an important reminder of the need for reliable cloud services. The cloud is a powerful tool, and it’s essential that companies are able to trust their cloud service provider to deliver the performance and reliability they need.
