VMware, Piston Cloud team up to develop open source PaaS offering

In a pairing of unlikely partners, Piston Cloud Computing announced it will work to support integration of VMware's open source platform-as-a-service offering Cloud Foundry with OpenStack, the open source infrastructure-as-a-service model.

In recent weeks, the rhetoric between the open source and proprietary cloud offerings in the IaaS market has intensified. However today's move signals a more collegial tone in the PaaS market and what one analyst calls a recognition by providers that integration across multiple clouds and between IaaS and PaaS is key for cloud adoption by end users.

"Though [VMware] released Cloud Foundry in accordance with open source license, there are however suspicions about VMware's hidden agenda among open source practitioners and pundits," Subramanian says. "By supporting this project, VMware wants to clear up any apprehensions that they will derail the CloudFoundry project hereafter to suit their business agenda. To my mind, I don't see VMware having any such agenda nevertheless even if they have, there will be forks and there are credible companies ready to lead the fork."

Important transition

Cloud computing is an important transition and a paradigm shift in IT services delivery - one that promises large gains in efficiency and flexibility at a time when demands on data centers are growing exponentially. The tools, building blocks, solutions, and best practices for cloud computing are evolving and challenges to deploying cloud solutions need to be considered.

iPads are the must-have fad. Android is the rising mobile platform -- Everywhere you turn, the news is about personal, smart, mobile devices and their impact on business and on IT.

As businesses embrace Windows 7, many are finding their migration path blocked by compatibility challenges. Preparing applications for the new operating system is not the only compatibility concern - 64-bit, Office 2010, the impact of Internet Explorer 8 or 9 and the myriad of virtualisation options complicate an already demanding process. Windows 7 has been available for 2 years now. Many organisations have now made the move and common challenges have been identified.

The ability to analyse information quickly

Increasingly businesses require the ability to analyse information quickly. Find out how to handle growing data volumes more efficiently during reducing the cost of managing your organisation's IT landscapeWatch now

How effective are the business communications tools in your organisation?Help us to better understand how your business systems allow employees to communicate with clients and each other.Complete Survey