“The Computer Industry is the only industry that’s more fashion driven then women’s fashion.” –Larry Ellison

Towards the end of last year Larry Ellison sat down for an interview and thoroughly bashed cloud computing.  I’ve included the video, and if you’re a nerd like me you should watch it. Actually he didn’t bash cloud computing, he bashed the fact that cloud’s being used as a buzz word not a concept (Link to a  Good Definition of Cloud).  The enterprise IT industry frustrates me to no end.  I’ve mentioned on this blog before, that there are way to many IT projects and people that provide little value.  Part of the reason for this is that our leaders pass up so many great opportunities to help simplify the landscape.

It’s against that background that I’d like to introduce Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, and the email and speech he published earlier this week.  In them he outlined “the five dimensions that define the way people use and realize value in the cloud”:

• The cloud creates opportunities and responsibilities
• The cloud  learns and helps you learn, decide and take action
• The cloud enhances your social and professional interactions
• The cloud wants smarter devices
• The cloud drives server advances that drive the cloud

I can’t make this stuff up.  Until the leaders in this industry start to communicate in clear terms with the world around them enterprise IT will continue to needlessly suck resources and talent out of our economy.

I’m so depressed that I have to stop writing.  I think I’ll just dedicate the afternoon to finding a way to “use and realize value from the cloud” by providing it smarter devices.