"2013 Looking Ahead" cloud computing: an unprecedented reality

Through the difficult evolution of the 2012 from technological ideals to application practices, cloud computing has become more realistic and concrete in the past year for users.

If there is no such heavy news as "Amazon Web Services landing China" in China's cloud computing market, perhaps we will not have so much emotion at the end of the story. December 18, Amazon AWS announced the launch of China's regional cloud computing platform services, and then open limited preview applications for Chinese business customers and developers, and the service will begin a limited preview in early 2014. Six months ago June 6, Microsoft Windows Azure Public Cloud service has opened a public preview to Chinese users.

The world's top two public cloud services have entered the Chinese market, which is a meaningful breakthrough for China's cloud industry development. To know, in this densely-covered policy, regulation, national conditions and constraints of the market operation of public cloud services, the need to overcome the constraints of network connectivity, policy supervision, industry monopolies and other difficulties, and the global public cloud services in China's landing must face stringent national policy constraints. Fortunately, these long-standing problems of China's public cloud market development difficulties finally found a reasonable and legal solution in 2013. Microsoft Windows Azure and Amazon AWS have been working with the local IDC (Internet Data Center) in China to launch a public cloud business in China with the help of technology licensing or cooperative operations.

According to the technology maturity curve of the research institute Gartner, Cloud computing is rapidly climbing upward from the depths of bubble disillusionment, and industry participants are trying to deliver real business value to users. Taking the public cloud market as an example, cloud service providers such as Aliyun, Sheng, Tencent Cloud, Ucloud and so on have continuously upgraded the service quality through the means of strategic calibration and technology enrichment, and embarked on the development of new battlefield in the fields of E-commerce, video, gaming, mobile development and other industries.

On the other hand, the public cloud services of telecom operators, represented by China Telecom's Sky Wing Cloud and Wayun, are also officially served outside the year. In the development of public cloud services, the telecommunications operators in 2013 demonstrated a more determined transformation of the cloud services infrastructure to deploy many years ago, the development of the basic technology architecture has achieved a phased results, the relevant public cloud services online operations to further enrich the local public cloud services of the type, At the same time also to promote the user's use habits to the "cloud" transformation has played a positive role in promoting.

Windows Azure, which has opened public previews for half a year, has not yet released relevant price information, and when it can be put into full operation remains suspense. Looking back on the process of Windows Azure in China, Microsoft Greater China Vice President, Marketing strategy department general manager and chief Cloud computing strategy officer Shenwey recently to reporters, for Windows Azure into China, Microsoft has been preparing for up to two years, and the century interconnected close collaboration, and actively establish and improve the eco-system partners. "We have been through a very solid journey to provide customers with high-quality public cloud services." We also really feel the enormous energy of this market, hope to be able to progress together with other service providers. "he said.

The private cloud aspect, because its security, the delivery way and so on more suits the consumer psychology of the Chinese user, already before the public cloud by more and more enterprise customer accepts. In 2013, the private cloud market as a whole is in a steady state, already has a certain market size, while the private cloud solution of the normative and industry characteristics have been further enhanced. At the same time, OpenStack and Cloudstack as the representative of the open source cloud platform is also recognized by more enterprise users, and practice.

In addition, host hosting services provided by IDC are also becoming an optional enterprise private cloud Application form, and IBM's private cloud IaaS service platform for large and medium-sized enterprises sce+ at the end of 2013 to be hosted by the century, while telecom operators and some public cloud service providers are also actively developing similar service forms. All this means that consumers will have more diversified options in terms of standardization, flexibility, and economy in terms of cloud deployment. At the same time, with the diversification of private cloud service delivery and the continuous improvement of public cloud service quality, the early practice of hybrid cloud application deployment is expected to commence in the near future.

Four highlights of China's cloud computing Market 2014

1. When will Microsoft Windows Azure and Amazon AWS officially operate?

Two of global public cloud service providers in the preview stage did not release price information, the real public cloud services to the landing is still the last kilometer away.

2.IBM How does the public cloud enter?

Transition to "cloud" is an important part of IBM's business transformation. Its newly acquired SoftLayer how to participate in China's public cloud market competition will be the focus of all parties.

3. Can private cloud industry model be established?

Private cloud in the enterprise-wide practice began from the early exploration to the industry in-depth, with industry attributes of the example project will have a positive impact on the overall market.

4. Can open source cloud platform reach the enterprise environment extensively?

OpenStack, Cloudstack and other open source technology framework is still facing the problem of too little enterprise application cases. In the 2014, a wide range of business practices will be closely related to its future sustainable development.

(Responsible editor: The good of the Legacy)