IEEE announces cloud standards initiative

Monday, April 04, 2011

In an effort to establish cloud standards that help drive the technology's growth, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards Association recently announced the launch of a new forward-looking cloud computing standards development organization.

According to the IEEE, the advent of cloud computing has and will continue to have a significant impact on technology and business models. However, for the technology to reach its potential, standards must be established that keep the market from fragmenting, the standards association stated.

The new Cloud Computing Initiative is "designed to serve as a catalyst for innovation in the cloud computing arena." Under the new initiative, the IEEE has established two new working groups. The IEEE P2301 is tasked with drafting a guide for cloud portability and interoperability. Meanwhile, the IEEE P2302 is intended to create a standard for inter-cloud interoperability and federation.

As the IEEE noted, cloud computing has the potential to change the way businesses approach IT for the foreseeable future. According to a 2010 CA Technologies report, 80 percent of enterprises already use one or more cloud computing solutions.