The Gathering Storm: Analyzing the Cloud Computing Ecosystem and Implications for Public Policy
Communications & Strategies, No. 85, 2012, pp. 63-85
Posted: 29 Jul 2012
There are 2 versions of this paper
The Gathering Storm: Analyzing the Cloud Computing Ecosystem and Implications for Public Policy
Date Written: March 1, 2012
Abstract
We contend that Cloud Computing is historically unique by simultaneously being an innovation ecosystem, production platform, and global marketplace. In Part I we define Cloud computing as a dynamic utility, listing key characteristics of what it is and what it is not, both from providers’ and users’ vantages. In Part II, we characterize three competitive battles in the broader Cloud ecosystem — Winning the User (Cloud Providers), The Search for Value (Network Providers), and The Device Wars (Device Providers). We then provide a new and simple, but powerful and practically applicable typology that combines the type of providers with the commonly understood architecture types. Part III applies the framework to analyze the business strategies of global Cloud service providers and select others in the broader ecosystem. We conclude with policy implications and where to take research from here.
Keywords: Cloud Computing, Industry analysis, business models, public Policy
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