Last week I had the opportunity to visit Tokyo, Japan and meet with a number of vendors and consumers of cloud computing along with analyst and press following the emergence of this new technology. It is clear to me that the interest in cloud computing and advancing of cloud standards is a global concern. Where ever I went there was great interest in the state of cloud standards and interoperability.
One of the events I was able to participate in was hosted by an organization called the Global Inter-Cloud Technology Forum (GICTF). This is a Japan-based organization which was established to provide insight into the need for cloud standards for cloud computing. In the short time they have been in existence they have developed a white paper that highlights the Use Cases and Functional Requirements For Inter-Cloud Computing. It is good to note that their needs are not that different from those being developed in other geographic locations.
Later on this month a study group for cloud computing under ISO JTC 1/SC 38 Distributed Application Platforms and Services (DAPS) will be kicked off in New York City. This group plans investigate the international and global needs of Cloud Computing Standards. Delegates from over 16 countries will converge to work on this activity. VMware will be part of the US national delegation and will be a participant in this important global research.
As we move forward on the journey to cloud computing interacting with the global computer industry will be increasingly important to think globally as many cloud computing needs may be the same but geographic and governmental requirements may be different. Cloud computing will eventually be implemented and used by consumers of IT resources and global interoperability will be very important. Over the next several years, national and global standards for cloud computing will be developed. It is important to recognize the unique requirements but also to ensure that we will maintain global interoperability. This will allow our customers from around the world to have the choice and business agility required to be successful.
