Cloud Computing - Is it Real?

Much hype has been directed to cloud computing over the last year or two. But there are still people who dispute it's reality and others who think it's the only way to the future. One thing can be said about the cloud - it is the Internet. That's the reaction of Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle. He refers to the cloud as water vapour. Says we should get a grip.

Microsoft, on the other hand, with a huge vested interest in packaged software, has decided to embrace the cloud, recognizing that while there may be hype involved, something real is happening.

It's true that the cloud is the internet, but is it just the internet. There seems little question that the idea of cloud computing represents a new and different method of managing IS architecture, indeed a new architecture in itself. True, running applications from an offsite server is nothing new, but running them from internet based servers on a large scale and renting the time to do so is something relatively new, and could have major implications for business and for software vendors. Microsoft recognizes this and is responding. Oracle is in denial and runs the risk of being left out of the rush to the cloud. Here's a take on the strategies of the two companies.