Cloud computing, developed more than eight years ago, has become a multi-billion dollar segment of the IT services market. However, the original server-centric model, used to provide low cost computing, is giving way to a new network-centric model that will deliver better performance and control at an even lower cost.
According to Gartner’s Forecast Overview: Public Cloud Services, Worldwide, 2011-2016, 4Q Update, the public cloud IaaS market is expected to grow by 47% – from $6 billion in 2012 to $9 billion in 2013. As this market has grown, hundreds of service providers of every size have stepped forward to offer “best-effort” cloud services. While a market for these services clearly exists, most of them don’t meet the enterprise requirements for a more reliable and secure computing platform. The challenge lies in end users having to use server virtualization technologies to solve problems better addressed by networks.