More Choices Or More Dependencies? Cloud Computing Cuts Both Ways

Grazed from Forbes. Author: Joe McKendrick.

While cloud computing has many advantages, too few organizations weigh the long-term impact of over-reliance on vendors providing cloud services. The goal of cloud computing should be to reduce dependence on vendors — but the opposite seems to be happening.

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Thomas Erl, co-author of the just-released book, Cloud Computing: Concepts, Technology & Architecture, about these concerns. Erl’s latest book is intended to explore the building blocks, or “concrete, well-defined, models, architectural layers, and technology mechanisms” of cloud…

Vendor lock-in is “something that organizations need to have their eyes open to, to assess the dependencies they form on cloud provider environments,” says Erl, who is also CEO of Arcitura Education. This should be a key financial metric in any cloud engagement, which would include factors such as “how much will it cost, and what will be the impact be to actually move to another cloud provider if you end up being unhappy with the cloud provider were looking at now, or if other circumstances require you to do so,” he explains…

Read more from the source @ http://www.forbes.com/sites/joemckendrick/2013/06/10/more-choices-or-more-dependencies-cloud-computing-cuts-both-ways/