Update -
for the record, we did NOT approve this. They snuck it out without any IBM approval and we caught them after the fact and told them to remove us from it. This was not IBM's doing at all. Would appreciate if you could clarify we are not endorsing this or claiming any ownership of this alliance......
A new initiative backed by IBM and with the involvement of a number of second-tier European vendors was recently launched. It’s always interesting to see these “open initiatives” – they’re generally heralded by triumphant sounding press releases, marketing department-fuelled hyperbole and little else. Over the past half dozen years or so I have been amazed at the number of times these things have been launched (and, as an aside, does anyone else notice that
Which is why the Open Cloud Alliance (
Let’s be honest and admit what this is. Under the tutelage of IBM (who is, after all, desperate to see some partners sign up to sell its cloud platform), a group of vendors has been rounded up, all of whom feel incredibly threatened by the large cloud vendors –
The OCA does make some valid points. As they say:
…mid-sized customers, in particular, want a flexible and controllable cloud that allows competition and innovation. What they are looking for most is ease of use and suitable functions, as well as secure data protection, manageable contracts and integration with the existing infrastructure.
Yes they are. And they’re increasingly finding it from a plethora of different vendors. But they’re not finding it from within a marketing led conglomeration of vendors whose commercial ulterior motive is so obvious it’s laughable.
And it gets worse – the press release starts trumpeting on about “trusted cloud vendors” – industry code for “don’t believe that the big guys will treat your data with respect”. Pure FUD. designed to perpetuate the status quo and guarantee, for another quarter or two, legacy vendors' revenue streams.
It doesn’t have to be like this. IBM actually has some compelling cloud products. Its acquisition of cloud vendor Softlayer was a pivotal moment in IBM’s cloud foray. Stupid intiaitves like this simply put them back a year or two.
The only standard that is relevant is one that is hewn from the blood, sweat and tears of real world enteprrise adoption. Aything else, OCA included, is simply marketing spin that at best achieves nothing, and at worst sets us back a few years as customers become confused by the conflicting messages. OCA needs to go away. Now.