Cloud service offerings are many and the multitude of Cloud providers makes choosing the right one a tough prospect for businesses. When a company seeks to utilize the Cloud there are many factors used to determine the right fit. Cost, ability, scale, SLA, and others all factor into the decision. And, even after all of these have been thoroughly researched, many companies are finding that the Cloud provider that won the contract wasn't exactly truthful about their capabilities. Many companies are stuck in an endless loop of switching providers constantly, attempting to finally land the perfect solution.
To help minimize the confusion and pain of selection, Intel has launched a familiar, but new, campaign and certification program. Similar to the old "Intel Inside" program for PCs, Intel is now attempting to brand the Cloud in their favor.
This is actually good news for Cloud enthusiasts, both from provider and consumer standpoints. On the provider side, it enables hosting companies to promote themselves as recognized leaders in performance and security. And, when consumers see the "Powered by Intel Cloud Technology" label, they can trust that the solution has been thoroughly vetted and certified by a trusted entity.
Jason Waxman, vice president, Data Center Group and general manager, Cloud Platform Group, at Intel, puts it this way:
"Much like when choosing a car, the type of engine that runs a cloud service dramatically affects performance and efficiency. Cloud customers want to know what technology their applications are running on because it has direct impact to their business. For the first time, users will have the transparency to select the technologies that are optimal for running their applications in the cloud."
For Intel, the new program is intended to help consumers understand that the majority of the Cloud is actually built and running on Intel technology. Intel owns close to 95 percent market share in server processors powering the Cloud. Who knew, right? So, it's also intended to bolster Intel's presence in an industry that has seen a considerable market decline in PCs, which was Intel's bread-and-butter for two decades. Intel is trying to prove they are already still viable in a changing industry.
How important is this?
Utilizing "Intel Inside" technologies, Shopzilla was able to increase revenue by 12 percent simply through improving page load times from seven to two seconds.
In addition to the branding, Intel has also unveiled a new Intel Cloud Finder service and web site where customers can get help choosing the current Intel Cloud Technology service providers. Intel has partnered with 16 service providers to start. The web site can be found here: Intel Cloud Finder. The Intel Cloud Finder provides a detailed search tool for locating Cloud Service Partners (CSPs) based on criteria. And, as part of the program, customers can try CSP services for free prior to purchase.
