Openstack Opens With Cloud Risks At Cloud Expo

I arrived in Santa Clara, CA this morning and headed straight over to Cloud Expo just in time to see Jonathan Bryce – Executive Director Openstack Foundation kick things off with his keynote “Open Cloud: Place Your Bets.”

What is the cloud?  That was a question we used to always ask. Today, we heard as much about what cloud is not, especially in Jonathan’s presentation.  No doubt, cloud is becoming a strategic imperative for many businesses small, medium, and large. As cloud becomes more strategic, IT vendors are coming out of the woodwork left and right offering cloud solutions.  Jonathan warns when trying to navigate offerings, there are three main factors to consider:

1. Watch for cloud band wagoners – cloud washing is everywhere.  Companies are increasingly placing the “cloud” label on things that are no different than what they were offering before.  Ask yourself, is it really cloud, or is it cloud washing? Is it elastic? Does it scale up and down?  If not, it’s probably is not cloud...