So What is IAGON?
IAGON is a decentralized, open-sourced cloud computing and storage services platform.
Put simply, it means that if you have spare storage or computing power, you will be able to trade that spare capacity on the IAGON platform. It also means that if you need additional storage or computing power, you can trade for that power through IAGON - all protected on an encrypted platform using blockchain technology.
By joining computers, servers or even smart devices into a network that provides storage capacity and processing power into a single platform, you will have created a decentralized and democratically available supercomputer.
Who Would Use IAGON?
Imagine the storage and processing power of every computer or device connected to IAGON being accessible to every other user on IAGON. This would open up opportunities for entrepeneurs with great ideas, or large companies trying to find efficient ways to do business. You could task IAGON with intensive computational processing for machine learning, analysing huge datasets or mass storage of records.
You would have a Supercomputer available to you, in the same way all the information world wide web is available to you.
Even your average desktop user can be involved. For example, I have a computer with a fair bit of computational power (at least for a desktop PC!). This PC is off while I'm at work and asleep. It's just an under utilised asset. I'd love to be able to lend its capability to a network for income when I'm not using it.
And on the otherside, sometimes I could really use additional computational power and storage. For example, I occasionally need to render. I would love to be able to do this much faster by borrowing the resources from someone else's computer to get the job done.
How Does it Work?
IAGON will primarily focus on storage and processing power. Both of these elements will be powered by a 'Smart Computing Grid'. Likened to a 'power grid', this is the system that allocates resources on the platform to manage the network of storage and computing power to ensure anyone can access the pool.
Using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, IAGON's 'AI-Tracker' (think of it as the brain of the grid) will allocate unused resources to customers in need.
Like any power grid, it will automatically connect producers to customers and transfer unused resources to customers in need.
While IAGON's token are proven (in beta) on the Ethereum based blockchain, IAGON plans to support the new 'Tangle' technlogy, which is an alternative low cost solution for operating blockchain technology. Users can choose either Ethereum or this new Tangle system when interacting with IAGON platform.
As the IAGONtagline says, it is a Global Supercomputer, powered by Artifical Intelligence and Blockchain Technology.
How Does IAGON Get Value?
IAGON tokens will be granted to those who join the storage and processing power grids and contribute to the network resources. These tokens can be traded for money, or can be used to access the network's resources when needed.
Like any typical market, the IAGON token's value will be based on supply and demand. As more people use IAGON's platforms because of its benefits, the demand for the token will increase - therefore increasing the value of the token.
This means that if you believe in the IAGON vision, the best time to invest is yesterday, and the second best time to invest is today.
Will Data be Secure on IAGON?
Importantly, the data stored on the IAGON platform will be secure by using blockchain technology and decentralization to ensure there is no point of failure.
Most centralised 'Data Lakes' (a central repository of data) are vulnerable to normal hacks, where the hacker can take anything in that centralized dataset once they have the breached the system.
By having data sliced up into smaller components through a network like IAGON, there isn't this same point of failure and 'keys to vault' issue with centralized datasets. Access to one encrypted piece of information in a system is not enough to gain access to all of the information available.
One way of thinking about it is comparing it to a 'liquid' lake where a hacker can 'swim' through the data if they breach security protocols versus an IAGON 'frozen' lake where this vulnerability does not exist.
Are you a Mining Enthusiast? I Know I Am!
Now I'm an avid GPU miner, and I'm worried that within the next few years we'll see GPU mining become a nostalgic past-time instead of a profitable (and fun!) interest.
In 2018 we're seeing a shift away from the traditional 'transaction-verification' type of GPU mining focused on Proof-of-work to something a little different.
IAGON will allow users to share their unused space in exchange for IAG tokens, and miners will receive incentives based upon the number of processes they perform. So the more data a miner processes, the bigger the reward.
So forget 'Proof-of-Work' or 'Proof-of-Stake'.
IAGON has created 'Proof-of-Variance'.
Proof of Variance classifies each miner based on their contribution to a pool, thereby allowing miners to compete with each other. Miners from the lower pools get moved up or down, primarily based on their system's speed and amount of data they are able to handle.
This means that newer or smaller miners can profit from mining data while increasing their system's capability. It also allows miner who invest more to earn more - just like 'traditional' cryptocurrency mining.
As block tasks are distributed to miners, they need to match the data signature from the data input and find its corresponding data object in the block to return the data output. This process does not involve the storage of any data that is processed. Once it is validated to belong to the specific block, the miner is considered to have mined the block and receives the rewards for it.
The short answer to how mining works on IAGON - the miners process data and send it back to IAGON's network for analysis. Your 'mining' is data processing a manageable sized task for the IAGON network and getting paid for it.
Is There a Need for IAGON?
Right now, cloud computing is dominated by a few large players, like Amazon, Microsoft and Google. These companies charge more than IAGON will charge when up and running, due to the nature of their business model with higher overheads.
The need for IAGON will only increase over time. With the advent of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence programs, raw processing and computing power will always be in high demand. We are only in the early stages of a data hungry society, and our need for data is expected to increase quickly in the space of a few years.
In fact, if we look at just the Big Data needs of companies in recent years, we can see it is big business. Storage and easy access to data for analysis is a powerful tool for any business looking to expand profits, understand their customers or find efficiencies in their workflow processes.
Can IAGON Deliver?
What I usually look for in an ICO is community interest, team, reviews and my personal view on the utility of a project.
So on that basis, lets break it down. So far, IAGON has already past its softcap of 5000 ETH, and given we are in the early stages, it could foreseably get close to its hardcap of 50,000 ETH.
There are more than twenty solid team members with the expertise and experience to deliver on this project, including their CEO, COO and CTO, which all have experience in managing large complex projects.
Now I don't often follow ICO rating websites, but when virtually every single on of them gives IAGON great scores - it's worth paying attention!
And on a personal level - I enjoy mining and contributing to a decentralized network, and I sometimes need extra processing power for rendering. I see application for IAGON for small time users like me, all the way up to companies that need access to Big Data and Artificial Intelligence development capabilities.
To Sum Up...
I recall in the early 2000's, in the space of a few years, having access to a powerful smart phone became the norm.
IAGON could take this to the next level by leveraging the potential of everyones smart phones and devices to create a readily accessible - and affordable - Supercomputer.
This is a vision worth promoting. I'll support IAGON to deliver their vision of a Global Supercomputer, powered by Artifical Intelligence and Blockchain Technology.
This is an entry in support of an Original Works writing contest.
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