Will Microsoft Virtualization Spur Cloud Computing?

Will the fact that Microsoft is so huge, so powerful, and now getting into virtualization push cloud computing forward?

Will Microsoft’s virtualization spur a lot more cloud computing?

“At this week’s Interop show in New York, speakers argued that Microsoft’s recent moves could give cloud computing a substantial lift. But they also cited needs for Microsoft to streamline its virtualization products and pricing. Microsoft’s recent entrance into data center virtualization could bring big benefits to the cloud computing industry as a whole, especially if Microsoft starts to offer a simple enough product line-up and pricing model, said observers at this week’s Interop show. ‘The biggest [part of] the cloud right now is open source,’ acknowledged Michael Crandell, CEO and founder of RightScale, during a panel session. Yet by and large, panelists seemed to agree that Microsoft’s large installed Windows base could ultimately help to drive much greater industry demand for data sharing between virtualized in-house data centers and outside hosts, including third-party partners. Crandell said he wouldn’t be entirely surprised if at least one open source cloud computing maven in the ‘household name’ category eventually provides Windows-based storage as an alternative for customers.”