Let's separate fact from fiction...
Interesting article. And I actually agree with many of your points, i.e., your comments on the mainframe, and the rising use of OpenStack as a viable option. But I find it interesting that articles like this are like prognosticating the long term affects of global warming on our planet. They're anecdotal at best, and at worst they serve only to unnecessarily panic the masses. PAY/G cloud (or any cloud based offering whether private, public, hybrid, etc.) are like any new technology (some would call it IT services philosophy) with the potential for producing a major paradigm shift. It has it's pluses and minuses compared to traditional application hosting paradigms. And as with any new technology that's introduced (like x86, optical, SSD, etc.), it sees an initially high price per unit, which tends to shrink with time, end-user experience, and market demands. No one in their right mind is recommending a "rip and replace" (or "rip and move") approach when it comes to cloud. At least no one in the circles I deal with. And that goes for OpenStack in particular. But then again, I work for one of those "large corporations" you mention that has a very practical view of application hosting, and also owns the mainframe you so aptly espouse. In fact, we take the approach that "fit-for-purpose" (F4P) is just as important (if not more?) than cost per unit of computing. Some apps work just fine on x86. Some on Unix. Some on the Mainframe. And some, (as you point out) are great candidates for cloud (hybrid, private, or public). But I don't believe OUR EXPERTS are telling anyone to replace their entire application portfolio with cloud.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
