Pick Your Cloud Computing Dance Partner Yet?

Nearly 90% of all current web servers on the internet are dedicated to low-to-mid traffic websites. The players arranging their cloud computing product catalogs are drooling to capture their share of this ripe opportunity. Did you get your party invite and have you picked your dance partner yet?

You don’t have to be a technophile to see the flurry of activity taking place currently. Microsoft and Google are leading the charge, but a whole host of smaller providers are packaging their cloud ‘wares as well. As a marketer, I’m excited to see this shake out, and with any luck we will have an opportunity to play in this sandbox and have some fun too. In general, IT as a utility has long been discussed but not until now has it truly been tangible. Virtualization, software as a service, web apps, smart devices, and the general IT mandate to do more with less has given cloud computing the thrust it needed to be relevant.

All things being equal, what you’ll clearly see is everyone commit to the cloud and share their ideas on how they have the best mousetrap. How they articulate their cloud strategy as an OEM, Distributor or Reseller will also unfold before too long if it hasn’t happened already. Specifically, as you begin to read the articles, see the ads and grasp the value propositions, be mindful of how the message across the enterprise and the SMB sector will be different, but the same. Productivity and savings will be the key message regardless of the audience. And if you’re at the beginning (or end) of the IT supply chain as a user, hopefully they will differentiate themselves and strike the right chords for your specific needs.

Lastly, what I am particularly excited about is how the SMB sector, with a bulk of the web server market share, will finally shape and mold the direction of this industry within an industry. IT products and services (yes, products not just services will also be a part of the cloud toolbox) will drive not just ride along this time. What that means is competition, and hopefully smarter, better, faster and cheaper solutions for today’s SMBs. So, if you haven’t gotten it yet, hang on, plenty of cloud computing party invites will be in your Mailbox or Inbox shortly. Surely there will be more on this subject to follow.