BANGALORE, INDIA: No matter how large or small a company’s IT infrastructure and team, there are never enough resources to manage business-critical applications.

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Given the continuous uncertain economic times, it is even more critical than ever to take advantage of cloud as part of the strategic IT initiative.

Businesses consider cloud computing out of a need for scalability, cost savings, on-demand infrastructure, time to market, and a myriad of other factors.

Cloud computing is moving well in to the post hype stage with a great number providers large and small delivering a slew of cloud-based solutions and services, from full-blown enterprise applications to social media apps to storage services to virtual desktop services.

Cloud computing enables businesses to innovate and execute the business models through the IT services not based on the size of IT budgets or skills, but on the power of ideas.

As more companies embrace cloud computing, IT decision makers and influencers will have many challenges and options for applications, platforms, and infrastructure. It's critical that businesses maintain the flexibility to move data and applications among clouds and be able to switch cloud service providers if necessary.

The standardization and interoperability have not been focused around the fast growing cloud computing adoption space. However, it needs to become one as cloud computing is going to be a vital part of the IT infrastructure in 2010 and beyond.

Businesses should not forget to add data governance and data security to the mix particularly when you have compliance component. Also, a few cloud standards organizations, such as the Open Cloud Consortium, are looking to drive some interoperability standards, including a group working on standards and interoperability for large data clouds.

We are expecting the hybrid cloud model getting prime attention in enterprises during the next few years to provide effective and seamless bridging between the public and private clouds to interoperate on demand based on the business rules and needs.

The author is Executive Vice-President, Business Development at Zylog Systems Ltd.