What is cloud computing?
Around the blogosphere, people are commenting on the definition of cloud computing. As we've noted, cloud computing is here to stay, and resistance is futile. And with $100 billion at stake (according to a Merrill Lynch research note), investors see the cloud as a promising business tool for the future. In fact, multiple analysis groups have devoted time to looking at the economics of the cloud, including Deutsche Bank, which released a report on SaaS and Cloud. Forrester Research analyst James Staten says that there are plenty of reasons to stick your head in the cloud.
So I've been reading my cloud feeds and have assembled some discussions on sharpening the edges on the fuzzy terminology of "cloud computing."
Bob Plankers shared his friend Terry's take on what cloud computing is:
To hell with cloud computing. Clouds are puffy crap that float lazily by. Is that what you want out of your service provider? Just floating by without a care in the world?
And John M. Willis asks if Guitar Hero is a cloud?
As the cloud-o-sphere tries to define this "cloud" thing, myself included, it seems like the list of who is a cloud just keeps getting longer and longer. I originally thought the Forrester 11 list was a little to long when it included SalesForce.com and Akamai as cloud providers. The general consensus seems to be, if you are a SaaS, PaaS, or a IaaS you are probably a cloud and this makes the list even longer.
Willis expounds on the aaS point with a bit of humor. He recently shared a discussion from an Awesome meeting, in which attendees asked "Does a cloud have to have an API to be a cloud?".
If you're stuck on what the difference is between a grid and cloud, Michael at Apistry provided useful definitions in an April post. Vontlin at cloudfunnel.com also provided a simple definition of SaaS and Cloud computing for newbies.
Michael Cote at RedMonk shared his experience at Cloud Conference week, including these two "anti-Cloud" definitions:
- "Cloud Computing means nothing and is, worse, fad-talk." Indeed! As with all new technologies that come along, iterating through the journey to meaning is about 2/3 the point. Remember "blogs," "Web 2.0″? We're still chunking up on "Enterprise 2.0," but we know it's better than spending time thinking about "Enterprise 1.0."
- "I knew grid computing, and you my friend are no grid computing." There's a Darwinian evolution of the exact definition of cloud computing running around. We're about a country mile away from "knowing when I see it," which is excellent progress. The cloud to everyone's silver lining has enough material to write a 3-volume desktop reference at this point.
With all the hype and financial motivation, it's not too surprising that vendor 3Tera is pushing toward a cloud computing standard. The company has received enough feedback that they've explained their thoughts on the usefulness of a standard, of course deemphasizing the profit motive that seemed obvious to a few.
What do you think? Still unclear or is it becoming more firm in your mind what this whole "cloud thing" means?
