14 DAY TRIAL // With its data centers running in recession mode, Microsoft has announced the birth of Cloud Computing Futures. Having a key concept at heart, a vision in which the data center is nothing more than a computer, Cloud Computing Futures aims to no less than apply the same design and programming strategies as for any integrated system. A project under Microsoft Research, Cloud Computing Futures will have the task to build novel data center solutions, while aiming to cut down costs associated with data centers by no less than fourfold. The software giant has named Dan Reed, managing director, Scalable and Multicore Systems, at the lead of the new group.
“A once in a generation computing revolution is underway that will broaden access and enrich the lives of individuals everywhere. Powerful cloud services and interconnected sensors, actuators and rich media devices promise to change profoundly how we work, play and socialize. The Cloud Computing Futures team is partnering with Microsoft researchers, academic innovators and technology developers to create the hardware and software capabilities needed to accelerate this revolution, while creating green computing capabilities,” Reed stated.
Following the poor financial results from the second quarter of fiscal year 2009, Microsoft has cut back extensively on spendings, including costs associated with its data centers. The Redmond company is currently trying to do more with less, even as its Cloud vision evolves on an infrastructure that is forced to remain at the same levels as before. In this context, Cloud Computing Futures will present an opportunity for the software giant to articulate a strategy in which it will cut down power consumption, costs, while boosting deployment, together with adaptability and reliability.
“Microsoft cannot gain a sustainable competitive advantage by incrementally improving the “off-the-shelf design” of existing data center hardware and software. Considering the data center as a single artifact will allow us to re-architect the platform in radical ways. We will gain distinct advantages with a holistic approach to data center design. We must simplify in key areas to eliminate the outdated, redundant designs in today’s one-size-fits-all data centers. We will create new power, cooling, hardware, and software standards to advance simplicity and flexibility and true “lights out” operation. We will unite software flexibility with new hardware designs,” the company stated.
But of course, what Microsoft is actually trying to do is drive innovation in its data centers. Innovation under the form of new hardware and software solutions yet to be invented, which will resolve current problems related to loading, provisioning, performance, etc. Solutions that Cloud Computing Futures proposes to invent itself.