Breaking Through Cloud Addiction

December 2, 2012 Off By David
Object Storage

Grazed from TechCrunch.  Author: Alexander Haislip.

 Cloud computing has become a lot like the Hotel California: Once you pick a provider you can check out anytime you want – but you can never leave.

You’ve no doubt heard of “cloud lock-in,” the concept that once you architect and optimize your systems on a single infrastructure seller you’re effectively stuck with the choice. It’s an unattractive idea, especially in an industry moving as quickly as cloud computing is.

And the companies paying real money for cloud computing – signing eight- and nine-figure annual contracts – they’re the ones looking for alternatives. They know they’re going to get discounts now that HP, Microsoft, Google and Dell are all in the cloud game…

Once you’ve gone down the road with one provider, rebooting into another cloud must be difficult. Maybe that’s why you see such paradoxical allegiances in the cloud.

Here’s one: Netflix uses Amazon infrastructure, competes with Amazon to deliver streaming video, and pays Amazon massive amounts of cash to handle its data. The fact that Netflix is forking over its data and cash to its competitor ought to raise eyebrows. And not only does Netflix seem to accept this arrangement, it promotes it…

Read more from the source @ http://techcrunch.com/2012/12/01/netflixs-amazon-cloud-addiction/