What's the big deal?
So why all the fuss about cloud computing? “Cloud computing is the next step in the evolution of the internet,” says Manley. “The web is about information and the cloud is about services – it will become a global depository of functionality.”
“This is a new era in computing. The worlds of enterprise computing and cloud computing differ in one key respect: scale. Where the web provides information, the cloud gives you computation; much more resource intensive tasks like graphics rendering. The cloud could be much more impactful than the web.”
OK, so cloud computing is definitely a big deal and you would expect any IT company to want to be a part of it, as Manley confirms: “If the whole way in which computing is done is going to change over the next ten years then we want to lead that change.”
Fine, but can we get some specifics on HP’s interest in this phenomenon? “HP’s business is divided into hardware, software and management systems,” explains Manley. “Our vision for the cloud runs across all those segments as you need to use hardware to access software and services in the cloud. Those services have to be delivered by service providers, of which HP is already one.
“If a server’s not being used then, as a service provider, you are losing revenue. So the cloud will be a true market based on server availability and will commoditise services, with spot quotes being given for jobs that will vary according to supply and demand.”
