雲端運算產業之初探

Abstract

近半個世紀來，ICT產業有了大幅度的進步，而運算力也被預期為第五種公用服務。而這些運算資源也將向其他服務一樣，提供最基本的服務給社會大眾。在運算模式演進的進程裡，運算典範中最為人注目的就是雲端運算。因此，我初步地定義了什麼是雲端運算，進一步地去辨識出整個產業生態裡面的參與者以及其所進行的商業行為。此外，一開始我先大致地回顧產業相關的歷史，並試著找出其誘發產業發展的動因。接著，我分析了採取雲端策略的優缺點跟發展限制以及進行雲端運算產業的經濟分析，說明雲端運算的存在必要性。接著，我試圖找出其新興產業之下所有可能的新型態商業模式。另外，我也分析了雲端運算的採取策略以及平台策略並試著去探討誰有可能會是下一個平台領導者。在這研究中，對於一個新興產業的研究，我發現從最基本的技術面研究起，會是一個較為踏實的研究方法，因為技術面的限制通常會給於產業發展一定的規範。

With the significant advances in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) over the last half century, there is increasingly perceived vision that computing will one day be the 5th utility. The computing utility, like all other existing utilities, will provide the basic level of computing service that is considered essential to meet everyday needs of the general community. Several computing paradigms had been proposed to deliver the vision, and the latest one is that cloud computing. Hence, I try to define the cloud computing and its ecosystem which includes players and businesses in this study. In addition, I reviewed the computing history and try to work out some important driving forces of Cloud Computing. I also provide insights on features of the cloud that encompass both benefits and risks that adopting the cloud. In addition, the constraints of developing are also addressed. Furthermore, I reveal how the economics of cloud will be so attractive to potential users, i.e., cost benefit of the cloud. Then, I present some business models of the cloud and deployment model that demonstrate how to adopt the cloud. Most importantly, the platform strategy of the cloud is discussed, and the battle of the platform leadership. In this research, I found out that the new emerging market such as Cloud Computing should be analyzed from the ground. Due to the cloud is still in its infancy, the research may be solid by focusing on the technology of the cloud which is the building blocks of the development.