Way back in 1997 when Steve Jobs had re-taken control of an Apple in dire straits he outlined a vision for the company in the annual WWDC. He spoke about having a portable directory that could follow the user from device to device.

He talked about how his preferences didn't change from machine to machine and the convenience and security this proposed system would bring to the consumer. He described how Apple would do this for their customers, how in the future the average user can be connected with a machine and be able to get personal data anywhere via a high-speed connection.

Fast forward 14 years later and this vision has become a reality. Apple is now offering the iCloud web application where users can store their data on the cloud and be able to access it from a number of Apple devices. Users can now sync their Apple iPads, iPods and iPhones to form a seamless streamlined experience. Jobs' vision had pushed Apple to develop what customers wanted: a simple and easy way to tie together various devices.

The Apple iCloud goes live in October 12 but it already faces a market with such heavyweights like Amazon and Google not to mention other cloud service focused companies like Dropbox, YouSendIt.com and Cx.com. Google has had a head start when in 2005 it started getting people used to storing documents with its Google Docs feature. Windows has its fledgling Azure service to battle Apple's iCloud. Now more than ever with people having two or more internet connected devices the need for a cloud service has become more widespread.

What does stop more consumers from jumping into the cloud bandwagon is the question of security. Hackers could easily access personal files on cloud services. Cloud service is still in its early stages and as more users start storing their data online, security will have to develop faster than hackers can break it.

The field is still wide open. Apple may be the leading tech company in the world right now but it doesn't have the advantage in the cloud service market. The iCloud is a step forward in Jobs vision of the company. It might not be perfect but the iCloud stands as a testament to Jobs' forward thinking.