The Open Cloud Manifesto

Today before a sell-out crowd of nearly 900 Utah executives at the Utah Technology Council’s (UTC) 11^th Annual Hall of Fame celebration event, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said that “cloud computing is an even bigger phenomenon than the advent of personal computing.”

Maybe he has a vested interest in that statement, but analysts also agree that cloud computing is an important strategic technology for 2010 (and beyond).

If, as Eric Schmidt said, cloud computing is an even bigger phenomenon than the advent of personal computing, and if I add that personal computing is a bigger phenomenon than the printing press, then cloud computing is the biggest phenomenon of all information and communication in history (I think we know that without the syllogism.). Do you agree?

A phenomenon of this magnitude deserves a manifesto; think of all the other phenomena that have manifestos!

Fortunately, cloud computing does have a manifesto: The Open Cloud Manifesto is dedicated to portability, interoperability, and flexibility of cloud-computing systems. It’s a very well written summary of the advantages and barriers to entry of cloud computing, and the goals and principles of an open cloud. If the world is increasingly and irreversibly online, then shouldn’t we model the ability to interoperate, change cloud providers, and share data after the open nature of the Internet itself (while continually improving security)? Many brilliant companies think so.

Here are the “Principles of an Open Cloud” from the Open Cloud Manifesto:

1. Cloud providers must work together to ensure that the challenges to cloud adoption (security, integration, portability, interoperability, governance/management, metering/monitoring) are addressed through open collaboration and the appropriate use of standards.

2. Cloud providers must not use their market position to lock customers into their particular platforms and limit their choice of providers.

3. Cloud providers must use and adopt existing standards wherever appropriate. The IT industry has invested heavily in existing standards and standards organizations; there is no need to duplicate or reinvent them.

4. When new standards (or adjustments to existing standards) are needed, we must be judicious and pragmatic to avoid creating too many standards. We must ensure that standards promote innovation and do not inhibit it.

5. Any community effort around the open cloud should be driven by customer needs, not merely the technical needs of cloud providers, and should be tested or verified against real customer requirements.

6. Cloud computing standards organizations, advocacy groups, and communities should work together and stay coordinated, making sure that efforts do not conflict or overlap.

Now that we have a new platform for computing, we can again show that technology always improves.

How would an open cloud impact your organization’s ability to innovate?