The news that AT&T has joined the rapidly growing ranks of cloud computing providers reinforces the argument that the latest IT outsourcing model is well on its way to becoming a classic disruptive technology. By enabling datacenter operators to “publish” computing resources — such as servers, storage, and network connectivity — cloud computing provides a pay-by-consumption scalable service that’s usually free of long-term contracts and is typically application- and OS-independent. The approach also eliminates the need to install any on-site hardware or software.
Who Provides What in the Cloud
August 27, 2008