Data Center Industry Links for July 6th

Rumor Mill: Google EC2 Competitor Coming in 2010? - "I’ve heard from a somewhat reliable source that Google is working on their Amazon EC2 competitor. Yes, some kind of on-demand virtual servers. I would have been the last person to guess that Google would take this direction, but you have to admit it makes a certain sense from their perspective." From Randy Bias at CloudScaling.

As Microsoft Azure matures, pricing remains a problem - Microsoft's fledgling Azure Platform as a Service (PaaS) got a minor face lift this week, but it still doesn't offer enough reality-based resources for many hoping to deploy cloud-based applications. And big questions persist around the complicated Azure price model. From SearchDataCenter.com

Secrecy of Cloud Providers Raises IT Security Risks - Cloud service providers often cultivate an aura of secrecy about data centers and operations, claiming this stance improves their security even if it leaves everyone else in the dark. From Network World.

Why Some Vendors Regret Becoming Cloud Providers - "Analysts say EMC chose to shutter its Atmos Online service to avoid competing with its software customers. Fair enough, but I'm not sure why EMC did not see that issue from the get-go." From David Linthicum at InfoWorld.

Making IT Fit Like a Good Shoe - Tony Greenberg reflects on the first 10 years of RampRate: "In 1996, I recognized a problem in the way IT services were bought and sold. The sales process wasn’t set up to solve a customer’s problems. Instead, it was set up to close a deal." From RampRate.

US federal agencies still not convinced about cloud security - Most US federal agencies are concerned about potential information security risks associated with cloud computing, according to a government report. The GAO said 22 out of 24 major federal agencies are either concerned or very concerned about the potential security risks of cloud computing. From ComputerWeekly.