Hybrid Cloud

I've read a few articles from analysts or media recently where they talk about 2014 as the year of Hybrid Cloud. I think this is good to hear, but I also wonder why it's taken so long for some in the industry to accept the inevitable? OK that's more of a rhetorical question, since I do know the answer and I'm sure many of you will too.

In reality I find it amusing, with more of an "I told you so" approach! Several people, as well as myself, have been talking about the need for private cloud. Whether it's issues with security, reliability or simply getting data into and from public clouds, public cloud has limitations and is definitely not right for everyone or every application/service. That's not to say that private clouds are problem free but it's not necessarily the same problems and neither should it be.

The combination of private and public clouds, coupled with cloud bursting when needed, is what we should all be aiming for, with pure private or pure public use simply a degenerate case. I find it interesting that Amazon now has a position on private and hybrid clouds, which is very different from what they were saying 4 years ago.

I also still believe, as I stated back then, that the whole definition of cloud needs to change. Whether it's ubiquitous computing or the Internet of Things, the explosion of devices around us and their capabilities (processor speed, memory, network access, etc.) has to become part of the cloud, and probably its biggest part. It makes no sense to ignore the powerful options that this gives us, let alone the fact we'll have no choice due to Shannon's Limit.

So although 2014 may be the year of hybrid cloud, it's the true cloud of devices that I'm still more excited about. Most of the options it creates still lie unexplored before us and I think that's where we should be adding a little more focus.