synopsis

"Cloud development and delivery services" are an area of great interest – and currently the subject of significant IT industry hype. But there are as many definitions of what "Cloud" means as there are vendors selling it. Sensing the powerful value proposition and benefits that can be delivered through the various types of Cloud development services, the IT vendor community has been quick to develop Cloud-based strategies for their development portfolios. However, as with many Cloud technologies and approaches themselves, many of the vendors' solutions and strategies are also still evolving. In this report we look at some of challenges facing software development and delivery teams in choosing Cloud development services and provide an overview of the vendor landscape. In a separate report, Part 2 (to be published in March 2010), we provide a synopsis of the solutions and strategies currently in play from leading proponents in the vendor supply community.