Once again, everything is about to change ­ and this time, the analysts might be on to something.

After years of worrying about on-the-ground implementations, chief information officers are heading for the skies. Cloud computing, says Gartner, represents a business evolution “no less influential than e-business”.

The analyst suggests cloud computing is difficult to define ­ a difficulty which apparently signifies the potential of the concept.

Gartner then manages to contradict itself by neatly supplying that previously unattainable definition for cloud computing: “Where massively scalable IT-related capabilities are provided as a service using internet technologies.”

Behind all this hyperbole and contradiction, the analyst does make some good points.

First, the coming together of virtualisation, service-oriented architecture and the internet is creating a new opportunity to reshape the relationship between IT and the business.

Second, such convergence means users can focus on the value of the service, rather than how systems are implemented or hosted.

Which really does mean everything is about to change -­ for everybody. Take IT managers, who will be able to act with more flexibility, introducing technologies and processes to meet the demands of line-of-business executives.

Such executives will be able to make requests for new technologies without fearing in-house implementation costs are likely to make the project prohibitive.

Even more pertinently, the availability of online services will provide more opportunities for user development. Beyond creating simple macros in Excel, users will be able to create code through a range of internet-provided systems.

Where does such user control leave IT programmers? Probably in India, creating cloud computing applications for the ever-increasing UK service economy.

Finally, traditional vendors will be left to fight against a new breed of online specialists that provide tailored business services.

Gartner suggests cloud computing remains an evolving concept. Despite the hype, the impending sense of change is overpowering.

What do you think? Read Mark Samuels’ blog at:
http://knowledge.computing.co.uk