Cloudonomics: The Business Value of Cloud Computing, + Website

Ecosystems, Intermediaries, and the Intercloud

One recent assessment of the emerging cloud computing ecosystem identified six major roles: infrastructure, such as physical equipment but also identity and billing; platforms, such as development environments, open source projects, and standards organizations; software, from SaaS vendors but also SaaS marketplaces, cloud resellers, and cloud distributors; services, such as certification, audit and compliance, and certification; partners, such as consulting, integration, and outsourcing, and communities, such as development and test.15 In such a world, partners, third parties, and intermediaries—some of which are sometimes called cloud service brokers—play a key role. If all pricing from all vendors were a flat 10 cents per server hour, choices might be made based on differentiators such as brand, location, and relationships. But if one provider is charging 10 cents now and 8 cents in two hours, and another one is charging 9 cents now but requires a commitment for future purchase, there is not just room but a dire need for intermediaries and instruments.

Intermediaries can help increase the efficiency and liquidity of cloud markets, selling off unused perishable resources while helping customers to save money. When there are multiple providers with roughly equivalent services, different types of intermediaries can arise: such as buyer’s agents who, for a fee, help customers select among multiple providers, and seller’s agents, such ...