Cloud computing has just crested the peak of inflated expectations and has begun its descent into the proverbial trough of disillusionment.

There’s no telling how long the downward slide will take, but Gartner, which first memorialized the now famous hype cycle, figures cloud computing is still two to five years way from mainstream adoption, and not only has descend into the trough of disillusionment but emerge on the slope of enlightenment and advance onto the plateau of productivity where it still could be years away from mass adoption.

Private cloud computing (along with tablets and Internet TV) has yet to reach the summit of inflated expectations, the researcher figures, but it too is at least two-five years away from mainstream adoption. See the graph.

The Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, 2010

Source: Gartner (August 2010)

Gartner says, “The migration of the web phenomenon – and technology in general – beyond the desktop and into the context of people's everyday lives is creating new opportunities for personalized and contextually aware information access. Augmented reality is a hot topic in the mobile space, with platforms and services on iPhone and Android platforms, and it represents the next generation as location-aware applications move toward the plateau. Other elements such as 4G standard, sensor networks and context delivery architecture are evolving more slowly, but will play a key role in expanding the impact of IT in the physical world.

“New styles of user interaction will drive new usage patterns, giving organizations opportunities to innovate how information and transactions are delivered to customers and employees. This includes devices such as media tablets and 3D flat-panel TVs and displays and interaction styles such as gesture recognition and tangible user interfaces.”