Intel forms alliance to promote cloud computing

By Jeffrey Van Camp October 28, 2010

intel-cloud-2015-open-and-interoperable — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Intel wants to set some standards for the cloud. In a release yesterday, the processor manufacturer announced the “Open Data Center Alliance,” a coalition of 70+ companies that spend more than $50 billion combined in IT investments and cloud research. The goal of the alliance is to establish hardware and software requirements that help “lead to more interoperable cloud and data center solutions.” Intel will lead the alliance as a “non-voting technical advisor” and work to deliver on its goals in whatever ways it can.

“The industry has an opportunity to accelerate the potential of cloud computing, delivering even better industry economics through this transformation,” said Kirk Skaugen, vice president and general manager, Intel Data Center Group. “With the Open Data Center Alliance we now have the world’s top businesses focused and actively engaged with Intel and the high-tech industry, accelerating solutions to the cloud’s key challenges.”

The alliance is part of Intels “Cloud 2015” project, which hopes to make cloud computing more universal and secure by 2015. Without it, Intel speculates, the web will become clogged by too much growth. The company hopes that smart investments (in its products) can help organize the net to handle the billion more people, 15 billion devices, and 1 zettabyte of Internet traffic that will be competing for bandwidth. (For reference, A zettabyte is one trillion gigabytes.)

Below is a video explaining the Open Data Center Alliance. Intel has a number of other videos on its YouTube channel explaining the Cloud 2015 project as well.

Microsoft, friend of Intel, has made a huge push into the cloud as of late. On Oct. 21, the company signed New York City as a client. If you’d like to know the true future of the cloud, read our article on Cloud Computing in the year 2020.

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Jeffrey Van Camp

Former Digital Trends Contributor

As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…

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