Cloud Computing in Five Years: A Veteran's Views

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Since 1998, Phil Wainewright has been a thought leader in cloud computing as a blogger, analyst and consultant. Here are his views on prospects of cloud in next five years

  • Cloud is delivered on mobile, includes social. Ask a technologist for a definition of cloud and you'll soon get dragged into discussions of virtualization, automated management and even data center design. Ask a business person and they'll talk about the freedom of interacting with applications, resources and contacts without being tied to a physical location. The business people have got it right: what's important about the connected technology of the cloud is the incredible speed, agility and transformation it enables in business. Some people say cloud is a buzzword that is nearing the end of its heyday, but I think it will endure, not as a technology buzzword but as a layman's term for connected automation.
  • Many businesses will thrive because of cloud. Cloud, in its widest sense of being connected to a global network of on-demand resources, is transforming entire industries. Look at all forms of media and publishing, look at retailing, look at advertising and marketing, look at information technology. The businesses that are using the Web to pioneer new ways of delivering goods and services are growing fast — as Marc Andreessen put it so memorably, software is eating the world. For other prospects and complete story read here