Cloud Computing: The Evolution of Cloud Standards
September 16, 2011
The good news is that there seems to be near universal agreement, excluding perhaps from public cloud-leader Amazon (although Amazon might be considered the de facto standard), that standards are important for the future success of cloud computing. The problem at this stage of cloud development technology lifecycle is that the landscape can be confusing for organizations trying to make decisions about how they should use the cloud. But the fact that so many bodies are springing up to create what they see should be the standard for the industry is likely a good thing — it sets the stage for a sort of Darwinian selection from among the standards, with hopefully the best ideas ultimately winning out in the end…
Two issues that cloud standards are attempting to address are data security and data portability. A key objective of cloud customers is to also to create standards that will reduce the likelihood of vendor lock-in.
Vinton Cerf, a founder of the Internet and Google vice president and chief Internet evangelist said at during a keynote presentation at Interop that ”You absolutely do need to have standards” for cloud technology.
The Open Data Center Alliance is one group that was formed by cloud customers to help create cloud standards. More than 200 organizations have become members of the group, including companies like Lockheed Martin, Marriott, UBS, Capgemini and JPMorgan Chase.
The Cloud Standards Customer Council is a group that is being driven more from a cloud vendor perspective. Founding members of this organization include IBM, Kaavo, CA Technologies, Rackspace and Software AG.
The Cloud Security Alliance is another group that is heavily backed by cloud vendors and technology companies. Member organizations of this group include eBay, Iron Mountain, Oracle and Microsoft.
The IEEE Cloud Computing Initiative is an attempt at standardization for the cloud being driven via the IEEE engineering society.
But those aren’t the only standards. The web-site Cloud Standards list a number of other organizations also working on standards for the cloud industry. Some of these other groups include National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), and the Open Grid Forum.