IEEE Looks to Clouds -- The Next Phase of Innovation

IEEE has launched a Cloud Computing Initiative with the approval of two new standards development projects:



IEEE P2301, Draft Guide for Cloud Portability and Interoperability Profiles, which will provide profiles of existing and in-progress cloud computing standards in critical areas such as application, portability, management, and interoperability interfaces, as well as file formats and operation conventions. IEEE P2301 will provide an intuitive roadmap for cloud vendors, service providers, and other key stakeholders.



and IEEE P2302, Draft Standard for Intercloud Interoperability and Federation, which defines essential topology, protocols, functionality, and governance required for reliable cloud-to-cloud interoperability and federation. It will also address fundamental, transparent interoperability and federation much in the way SS7/IN did for the global telephony system, and naming and routing protocols did for the Internet.



Two new working groups have been established to advance these standards. The goal is to help users build and/or procure standards-based cloud computing products and services.



"Since its inception, the Internet has gone through radical changes driven by the twin engines of continued technology advancement and evolving user expectations," said Steve Diamond, chair, IEEE Cloud Computing Initiative. "Cloud computing today is very much akin to the nascent Internet – a disruptive technology and business model that is primed for explosive growth and rapid transformation. But without a flexible, common framework for interoperability, innovation could become stifled, leaving us with a siloed ecosystem. By leveraging its uniquely deep and broad technological resources and expertise, IEEE is helping to minimize fragmentation and ensure that cloud computing realizes its full potential."



"Cloud computing will change everything. It is one of the three aspects of the 'perfect storm' of technology waves currently sweeping across humanity, the other two being massive deployment of very smart mobile devices, and ubiquitous high-speed connectivity," said David Bernstein, IEEE P2301 and IEEE P2302 WG chair, and managing director, Cloud Strategy Partners. "The cloud will tie all of these coming advancements together. We're truly embarking on a new age of innovation."http://www.ieee.orghttp://standards.ieee.org/develop/project/2301.html