The latest buzz in IT is cloud computing. Every product and application wants to move to the 'cloud'. They fail to understand that moving to the cloud requires serious restructuring of the product/ application.
Technical: Applications have to be made SOA compliant. All components/ business objects have to be discreet. Common applications are designed with the user in mind. Many transactions are use to update several records.
All changes have to be stored in the session until the final hit is made to the web-service. This can be perceived as lack of usability.
Process: Workflows have to discreet. Complex workflows can be accomodated but thats not the way clouds are supposed to work. Clouds want each transaction to be discreet. Each transaction moulds the way the cloud grows.
It will take significant effort to migrate any application to a cloud. Most applications will tout cloud compatibility, some tweaks to make the SOA compliant and partially deployed in a cloud. I consider these puffs of smoke.
It will also be essential for clouds to talk to each other. These mash-ups will lead to interdependant using a service from another cloud instead of developing the same.
What would happen to when a servicing cloud shuts down? Even worse would be to the cloud service provider itself shutting down. Business acumen would suggest having a backout plan. Would it be as easy as moving to another cloud service provider? Going by the discomfort to use standards in organizations, I think this is far fetched dream.
Lets see how soon the cloud dissipates.
IBM article on cloud computing
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