"Cloud computing, touted as the next big thing in IT, promises to offer utilitylike availability of huge computing resources at low cost and with greater flexibility and scalability. In fact, cloud computing is already here and is marching toward mainstream adoption"

Opening Statement

The computing landscape -- both personal and enterprise -- is poised for major change. What is driving this change is the emergence of cloud computing, the computational model in which applications, data, and computing resources are provided to clients as a service through the Internet (i.e., "the cloud"). Cloud computing, touted as the next big thing in IT, promises to offer utilitylike availability of huge computing resources at low cost and with greater flexibility and scalability. In fact, cloud computing is already here and is marching toward mainstream adoption.

As cloud computing begins to move from the fringe to the mainstream, we need to separate realistic potential benefits from mere media hype. One key question is, "What real value does cloud computing present to users and businesses?" Furthermore, are we taking additional risks by computing in the cloud? Given the embryonic state of cloud computing, many IT professionals and business executives understandably don't have a clear picture about cloud computing and its strengths, weaknesses, benefits, and risks. In this special double issue, we attempt to demystify the cloud computing phenomenon by exploring and examining it at length.

A BROADER VIEW OF CLOUD COMPUTING

The locus of computation has been shifting since the beginning of electronic computing. Computing has gone through many stages in its evolution in the past four decades, from mainframes to minicomputers to personal computers to network computing, client-server computing, and distributed computing. Now, coming full circle, computing is migrating outward to the cloud, to distant data centers reached through the Internet.

As yet, there is no one universally accepted definition of cloud computing. Here I present two possible definitions that offer a comprehensive and practical view of cloud computing. The first somewhat formal but plausible definition comes from ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review:

Clouds [are] a large pool of easily usable and accessible virtualized resources (such as hardware, development platforms and/or services). These resources can be dynamically reconfigured to adjust to a variable load (scale), allowing also for an optimum resource utilization. This pool of resources is typically exploited by a pay-per-use model in which guarantees are offered by the Infrastructure Provider by means of customized [service-level agreements].¹

The second definition, which is simpler and more inclusive, comes from Wikipedia:

Cloud computing is a style of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are provided as a service over the Internet. Users need not have knowledge of, expertise in, or control over the technology infrastructure in the "cloud" that supports them.²

The key benefits of moving to a cloud include reduced cost, improved flexibility, easier and quicker application deployment, and ease of access. Given these promises, where are the much-touted clouds now?

CLOUDS ARE ALREADY HERE

Although many might not realize it, cloud computing has already arrived. If, like many Internet users, you have used a Web-based application such as Google Calendar or a photo-sharing Web site (e.g., Flickr, Picasa), you have already been computing in the cloud.

According to a Pew Internet & American Life Project study, 69% of Internet-using Americans use Web mail, store data online, or use Web-based software programs.³ The study found that users consider convenience, flexibility, the ability to share information, and data safety as major reasons for engaging in cloud computing activities. And younger Internet users are more inclined than older ones to use services or applications that require personal data to be stored online and are more likely to herald the benefits of storing information or accessing software applications online.

PARADIGM CHANGE

Until recently, the processing and storage of data was done by your local -- personal or enterprise -- computer. With cloud computing, the data, applications, and processing power are all being provided by technologies in the cloud. Cloud computing thus allows users and businesses to get away from the limitations of their local environment; all you need is an Internet connection and a Web browser to be productive from anywhere in the world. Cloud computing allows you to access computation- and/or storage-intensive applications using just a light, low-end computer, since all of your computing/storage needs are outsourced to the cloud. As your data is stored at a secure data center, the risk of damage to or loss of data on your desktop computer is reduced. It should come as no surprise that cloud computing has attracted the interest of key players in the IT industry, all of whom hope to establish profitable business models and take the lead in the emerging cloud computing market.⁴

A LOOK AT THE CLOUDS

Rather than summarizing each of the eight articles in this issue, I'll keep this brief and simply point out the multiple directions in which the articles direct you to look at cloud computing.

Our first article, by Jeffrey Hardy, VP of Smarter Tools, Inc., helps you to understand what cloud computing is and what it is not. Hardy sorts through the different types of cloud computing and -- to give you a realistic picture -- casts a skeptical eye on some of the claims made for cloud computing.

In our next article, EDS Fellows Ed Reynolds and Charlie Bess outline what makes up a cloud solution and present four broad strategies that enterprises can use to embrace cloud computing. In doing so, they also caution enterprises that they must address the issues and challenges of moving from the traditional computing model to a service-centric computing model.

Having the right infrastructure is vital to success in offering cloud services. This is the topic of our next article, by IT infrastructure strategist Beth Cohen. She points out that a successful cloud infrastructure is one that integrates all the required services seamlessly to the end user. Further, to truly deliver the promises of cloud computing, she recommends that vendors and companies move past the current piecemeal SaaS approach and employ a strong operational focus.

Next, we call your attention to provisioning IT services in the cloud. Jason Liu, president and CEO of Univa UD, briefly reviews current cloud platforms that deliver services. He stresses that cloud vendors must focus on infrastructure and service governance technology, implementation, and expertise. As an example, Liu describes how a telecommunications service provider is using a cloud-enablement platform to bring a variety of new service offerings to market.

Then, turning to the cloud client side, Cutter Fellow Steve Andriole emphasizes that cloud computing represents an opportunity for clients to simultaneously rethink core competency, sourcing strategies, technology funding, and the role that technology should play in their company. He advocates a phased approach to the adoption of cloud computing and presents a five-step implementation plan for companies that are looking to get into the cloud.

In adopting cloud computing, a key concern of both enterprises and individuals is the security of cloud services and applications. In our next article, Khaled M. Khan, a computer science professor at Qatar University who specializes in computer security, addresses this issue. Khan argues that although cloud providers claim to show their services are secure by outlining the security measures they have taken, the main concerns of CIOs are not necessarily technological in nature. Rather, they worry about the risk of data breaches, of their data accidentally intermixing with that of other cloud consumers, and the lack of control over their data assets that cloud computing represents. Posing three scenarios, Khan analyzes the cloud computing security requirements of different types of stakeholders and discusses the security challenges that need to be addressed.

Enterprises embracing cloud computing must consider how to manage cloud computing's risks and meet compliance and security requirements. Jim Hietala and Mark Willoughby of Compliance Research Group outline the various compliance requirements that will be affected by cloud computing and discuss how to address them. They also identify who is subject to security and privacy regulations and discuss the cost of noncompliance.

Last but not the least, both cloud providers and cloud consumers need to have a better understanding of service-level agreements (SLAs) for cloud services. In our concluding article, G.R. Gangadharan, a research scientist at Novay in The Netherlands, "dissects" cloud SLAs. By highlighting some real-world instances of cloud service SLAs, he demonstrates how today's cloud providers are dealing with these service-level issues and how cloud consumers may be affected by them.

Together, these eight articles present a holistic view of clouds and their potential. They also highlight key challenges and considerations in embracing cloud computing from different stakeholders' perspectives.

THE TIME HAS COME

Cloud computing, driven by economic imperatives and the promise of flexibility and convenience, will remain an area of keen interest for years to come. If the current momentum in cloud computing continues, both individuals and enterprises will be computing in one or more clouds, public or private, in a major way within the next five years. Though there are major stumbling blocks for enterprises moving their applications into the clouds -- such as reliability, performance, bandwidth requirements, trust, and security issues -- these barriers are being gradually lowered or removed. Government regulations and other compliance requirements, which often lag behind market developments and demand, need to be addressed swiftly.

It's time to give cloud computing serious and favorable consideration. If we join the cloud revolution now, clouds -- in one form or other -- can help reshape the IT landscape for the benefit of all, whether individuals or businesses of all sizes and shapes. Widespread adoption of cloud computing will also help close the prevailing digital (information) divide, particularly in underdeveloped and developing economies. It might even help save our planet by providing a greener computing environment.

I hope you will find that the articles in this special double issue present useful insights and ideas about cloud computing and how you can embrace its potential. If all this sounds promising, read on!

ENDNOTES

¹ Vaquero, Luis M. et al. "A Break in the Clouds: Towards a Cloud Definition." ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review, Vol. 39, No. 1, January 2009.

² "Cloud computing." Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing).

³ Horrigan, John. "Use of Cloud Computing Applications and Services." Pew Internet & American Life Project, 12 September 2008.

⁴ For a detailed overview of cloud computing, see Murugesan, San. "Cloud Computing: A New Paradigm in IT ." Cutter Business Intelligence Executive Report, Vol. 9, No. 2, 2009; and Orr, Ken, and Andy Maher. "Here Comes Cloud Computing." Cutter Consortium Business Technology Trends & Impacts Council Opinion, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2009.

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