Why Microsoft should fear Ubuntu's Cloud efforts
As we try to figure out the future of the Cloud, one thing is assured: developers will drive both deployment and consumption approaches. As is common to so many other major software shifts, developers lead, regardless of what vendors want the market to look like.
With the exception of Amazon and Google, neither of whom are IT stalwarts, there hasn't been much to write home about from the obvious big vendors. IBM, Sun, Dell, HP and Microsoft have all made proclamations with only Microsoft offering much in the way of a system to test-drive, let alone deploy.
In the past Microsoft could show up late to a party and still win. That's becoming harder to do as it's forced to compete on so many fronts. Despite a vast developer army, Microsoft's efforts have been highly confusing and occasionally non-sensical. Microsoft needs developers to win in the cloud.
