Cloud Computing Summit

Cloud computing comes into focus only when you think about what IT always needs: a way to increase capacity or add capabilities on the fly without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software. Cloud computing encompasses any subscription-based or pay-per-use service that, in real time over the Internet, extends IT's existing capabilities.

Four fundamental requirements for Cloud are: (1) Scale out (2) Automated service (3) High availability and (4) Multi tenancy.

Recent days, Industry started contributing towards cloud application. If you go thro netflix site (http://netflixpivot.cloudapp.net/), you can feel the performance of Cloud. Last week, had a chance to attend the summit on Cloud & SOA at Bangalore. Event linked is posted at http://events.linkedin.com/ABOUT-BT-SUMMIT-2010-Bangalore/pub/371837

Vendors are providing the services in 3 categories, (1) Infrastructure (2) Platform (3) Application. In case of Microsoft, they are named as (1) IAAS(Infrastructure As A Service) like ForeFront, SystemCentre (2) PAAS(Platform As A Service) like SQL Azure, App Fabric, Azure OS (3) SAAS(Software As A Service) Office Live, Exchange Live, SharePoint Live, CRM Live. Microsoft is doing further R&D on DataSync, Azure reporting (similar to SSRS), Project Houston-DB Manager, etc

Microsoft Azure and Amazon EZ2 are the top competitors in the market. Itz interesting to observe CIO.com analysis about their top 5 differences. http://www.cio.com/article/632213/Microsoft_vs._Amazon_Clouds_5_Key_Differences