In previous blog posts, we observed Cloud Computing moving on toward the Trough of Disillusionment , and I’ve also pointed out the importance of looking beyond the hype peak.
In 2010, we saw that “THE CLOUD” was divided into three entries – Cloud Computing, Cloud/Web Platforms and Private Cloud Computing – when compared to the Hype Cycle released the year before. Below is the Hype Cycle for 2010. You can see that both Cloud Computing and Cloud/Web Platforms have made it over the hype peak and are heading toward the Trough of Disillusionment. And Private Cloud Computing is making its way up to the hype peak.
At the end of July 2011, Gartner released the 2011 Hype Cycle and what changed this year was that they devoted an entire Hype Cycle just on “THE CLOUD”. Here it is:
When comparing the 2011 and 2010 Hype Cycle curves, Cloud Computing has not moved but Cloud/Web Platforms has moved down the curve and is close to the bottom of the Trough of Disillusionment. Private Cloud Computing has also reached the peak of the hype cycle in 2011.
With devoting an entire Hype Cycle curve just to “THE CLOUD”, you can see that the entire enterprise has splintered into many segments which is fascinating. The whole “CLOUD” enterprise is now splintered into a huge number of different cloud specialties/technologies/business models. So as a business thinks about adopting “THE CLOUD” or executing a Cloud strategy, there are so many more options on what segment to bet on that its mind-numbing. And given that many of these segments are 2-5 years or 5-10 years from maturity – all businesses will need to really think about their strategy and figure out where and when to bet. The next 5 years are going to be very interesting as “THE CLOUD” matures.
Here at DiscountASP.NET, although we are focused on advanced shared Windows hosting today, we are also looking at the Cloud landscape and thinking about our own Cloud strategy. Since “THE CLOUD” is still largely undefined (ask 10 people and you’ll get 10 different definitions)and splintering as observed with the new 2011 Cloud Hype Cycle, we have remained more cautious than jumping into the fray. And we have stayed away from adding more confusion to the market by doing the same thing we’ve been doing but calling it Cloud. So as we observe the changing landscape, we will be making our strategic “Cloud” bets, and of course, we will keep you all informed.
Takehi Eto
VP Marketing and Business Development