Proprietary Cloud Computing: No Longer the Phrase That Pays?

Grazed from Midsize Insider. Author: Doug Bonderud.

When cloud computing first made the leap from hype to viable business technology, midsize companies had precious few options for service providers. Sure, early adopters sold proprietary cloud computing solutions, which offered ease of deployment, but they hid technical details behind thick curtains, away from prying IT eyes. The rise of open-source cloud technologies, however, may herald a shift from corporate to community control of distributed networking. Does that mean it’s time to retire "cloud computing"?

The Shine Is Off

According to Lucas Carlson, developer of Heroku for PHP and cloud service AppFog, there’s a case to be made for open-source. In a recent Wired article, Carlson argues that the current proprietary cloud computing model takes away a measure of control from the consumer. Massive cloud deployments leverage powerful infrastructure to provide simple app development, testing environments and software delivery systems. Along with their benefits, they keep midsize IT professionals from digging deep and creating clouds specific to their needs…

Carlson envisions an open-source cloud service competitor, one that provides users and developers with granular control over deployments and a say in how the cloud environment is shaped going forward. He doesn’t see current front-runners as the ultimate open-source answer, saying their versions of server virtualization technology do not go far enough. "What if you could have different components interacting as first-class citizens with each other?" Carlson wonders. He believes solutions that go beyond raw virtualization don’t yet exist—but aren’t far off in the future…

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