7/15/2010 - Patrick Hoornaert

At the onset of the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference held in Washington July 11-15 this year, Steve Balmer - Chief Executive Officer of the well-known global software powerhouse - plastically declared that "We're all in" (or - as a consequence - if you're not in you are out). TOBIUS comments on these interesting sessions and describes its own expectations towards the Cloud.

At first sight, amidst the "Cloud" hype, this might render the current state of affairs even more foggier, but it epitomizes a clear attempt to demystify Microsoft's new service and partner delivery model. The "Cloud" (a.k.a. "SaaS" or "Software as a Service", from which Microsoft's "S+S" or "Software plus Services" is an earlier variant) stands for a delivery model, whereby the applications of the Customer run on an external server, and in which the Customer only gets charged for effective usage during a specific period (mostly per user per month). This in sharp contrast with the traditional "on-premise" model, whereby the Customer purchases a software "license", which entitles this Customer to install and configure this software on workstation or server hardware operated by an in- or external team of technicians. In this conventional Information Technology landscape, we have grown old and weary seeking to fit the wide-open gaps between Business and Technology, or Change and Operation.

Expert predictions

Later during the conference, Chris Capossela - Senior Vice President of the Information Worker Group at Microsoft - summarized the promise of Microsoft and its cloud-willing Partners to its Customers as followed:

• Run your Business, not your infrastructure
• Only pay for what you use
• Shift from CAPEX to OPEX
• Reduce your Speed-To-Value

This "Cloud" will also amplify Web 2.0 effects throughout the Enterprise (dixit Steve Balmer):

• Learning as shared resource, e.g. uptake of natural languages to query the cloud.
• Emergence of new social scenario's, e.g. blurring of corporate and private border.
• Call for smarter devices or “cloud centric” devices, referring to new form factors such as Windows 7 based "slates" following Apple iPad's example.

As the proof of the pudding is in the eating, during the conference, Microsoft announced a new service code-named "Dallas", which allows developers and information workers to easily discover, purchase, and manage premium data subscriptions in the Windows Azure platform, which in itself is already an extensive existing group of cloud technologies.

Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies

In her presentation "Reading the Tea Leaves - Industry Trends and Your Competitive Edge" delivered during the Conference, Tiffani Bova - Vice President of Research at Gartner - places the cloud at the "Peak of Inflated Expectations" on the Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, right on its way for the "Trough of Disillusionment". Nevertheless TOBIUS is doing its due diligence on the cloud, and is well aware the channel business models are shifting. Perhaps not tomorrow but the day after, TOBIUS sees itself as a "Cloud aggregator" with a specialisation the field of Enterprise Project Management, with a competence to integrate multiple cloud offerings into a single solution, and the ability to support your company-wide business strategy.

TOBIUS on Cloud Computing

At TOBIUS we value our privileged partnership with Microsoft, while we also remain Business and Customer focussed. Many of our customers ask us what to expect from the Cloud in practical terms. Here is how we see Cloud services being introduced:

People and companies will gain trust via Cloud storage

While web-based applications promise gigabytes of storage, anywhere-access, easy backup, and no software requirements beyond your browser to use them, becoming dependent on webapps can leave you high and dry when those services go out. Most people by now have used services like Yousendit, GoogleDocs, Dropbox and many others. These data services will make them only more at ease with moving to the next step: applications

Cloud computing facilitates cost reduction

A lot of organisations find it very hard to measure the real cost of IT services. Services such as data centre storage, applications, email and networks can be hard to define and even harder to cost. In large part this is because accounting systems are not setup to either define or report on these types of services. Moving IT services to the Cloud can significantly lower IT costs, both Capex and Opex. Capex savings are easy to see as upfront costs just disappear when services are moved into what is essentially a pay as you go environment. Opex, on the other hand is harder to measure but it is control over Opex that ultimately determines the extent of long term cost reductions.

Cloud platforms gain acceptance

The best cloud platforms will be accepted as enablers of mission critical enterprise applications in need of high availability, dependable SLAs and world class disaster recovery