Who owns application delivery meta-data in the cloud?

While the vast majority of folks are still debating what is or is not "cloud computing", there are already groups trying to get ahead of the curve by focusing on broader issues such as interoperability and portability. Indeed, by addressing the potential pitfalls associated with portability across cloud implements now rather than later, it is hoped that there won't be as many problems when it does finally become an issue. There is a very real danger, however, that cloud interoperability and portability specifications will fail to address the very real need to include all the relevant application and...

Cloud Computing and Networking Vendors: The Third Option

Alistair Croll has a great post on GIGAOM discussing how networking vendors will need to change in order to support a cloud computing infrastructure. He outlines two options for networking vendors that will keep them relevant in a cloud computing environment. In option number one he postulates that virtual appliances are the way to go, that the "pendulum swings back to software". Option number two revolves around sales strategy, and he suggests that networking vendors will need to sell to the providers of the cloud. That makes sense to me. If you want to be a...