Category: Cloud Computing

Anyone who still doubts that Nirvanix is poised to deliver the same type of solution for cloud storage that VMware already delivers for cloud computing got a serious wake-up call this past week. Announcements that both Cerner and IBM entered into strategic relationships with Nirvanix are more than just validations of Nirvanix’s cloud storage technology. They signal that Nirvanix is poised to become how enterprises of all size will eventually implement cloud storage.

I realize VMworld 2011 ended over a week ago and everyone is by now probably looking ahead to the next big thing. But before we leave VMworld 2011 behind in the annals of history, I wanted to take one final look at how VMware went about promoting cloud ownership. Because rather than telling users they should own “VMware’s cloud” or “NetApp’s Cloud” or “EMC’s Cloud” or even some cloud service provider’s cloud, it touted “Own Your Cloud.”

VMware shared a pretty astounding statistic this past Tuesday when it rolled out vSphere 5. It stated that 50% of application workloads will be virtualized by the end of 2011 with that ratio continuing to grow at a rate of 10% per year for the next few years. That’s pretty remarkable considering ten years ago when I proposed starting to virtualize my prior company’s infrastructure that I was scoffed at by many of my peers.

There seems to be this almost naïve assumption out there that once “the cloud” is built everything in the computing world will be better. While I certainly agree with that to a point – cloud computing and cloud storage technologies stand to solve some very thorny problems within IT – there is one question that companies seem to be turning a blind eye to: “Who owns the cloud?”

The start of every decade new trends emerge that do more than influence opinions and behavior for a few months or years. Instead they are megatrends that fundamentally shape and mold an industry for the entire decade and influence innovation that will come in the decades to follow. Right now four such megatrends are emerging that are reshaping datacenters as a whole and are changing how hardware and software are being delivered to them.

Lately I have spent quite a bit of time talking about and defining different cloud terms. But the last few weeks have provided me with some additional perspective in terms of what people are looking for from “the Cloud.” They don’t just want “the Cloud” – they want the ability to manage the cloud and be in control of the data they put there and that inability to do so is what still gives users pause about “the Cloud.”

EMC World is always a crazy, energetic, bop-till-you-drop type event and this year’s EMC World was no exception. Highlighted by keynotes from EMC’s CEO Joe Tucci, VMware’s CEO Paul Maritz and a closing night customer appreciation event that featured the wildest hats I have ever seen and a performance by The Fray, EMC World 2011 was both fun and informative. But now that the dust has begun to settle, I had a chance to reflect on what I had seen and heard to consider what my top three takeaways from EMC World were.