As many seek to rent application platforms instead of own them, there is a greater emphasis on application interoperability and portability. Open Cloud initiatives and Cloud specifications seek to increase platform interoperability, enhance application portability, and ease lock-in concerns.

A recent discussion on Linkedin about the problem of misapplying CM principles has pushed Joe Townsend to action. It's time that CM professionals create a configuration management manifesto in the form of a living document that gives professionals a mantra they can follow in their CM-related work.

On the surface the OpEx payment model is appealing because it allows organizations to purchase the right amount of services to fit fluctuating needs over time. When you dig deeper, you will find a complex web of pricing and feature sets that makes it almost impossible to compare vendor offerings.