Cloud Computing: Hacking hardware isn’t just cool – it’s also good business

Grazed from GigaOM. Author: Derrick Harris.

When companies such as Google and Facebook design their own servers, switches and data centers, it’s more a business decision than it is a test of their hardware-hacking skills. Custom gear means lower power bills, better performance and the flexibility to adapt to unforeseen situations.

One of the best things about cloud computing — as both a business model and an architectural principle — is that hardware really doesn’t matter. By and large, as long as applications and systems management software are intelligent enough to run the show, servers, switches and hard drives just need to show up with minimal competency and stay out of the way. If you don’t believe me, just ask Backblaze … or VMware … or Facebook…

Smart companies trying to deliver services over the web realize that they’re not in the business of pleasing a CIO, but of pleasing consumers. And consumers don’t care what’s under the hood as long as the service works and their lives aren’t interrupted by a downed server…

Read more from the source @ http://gigaom.com/cloud/hacking-hardware-isnt-just-cool-its-also-good-business/