The phrase “outsourced solution” never really set hearts racing. But, the “Cloud” is different.

That’s why when a top thought leader started pushing the term and said that he is using it in a forthcoming book – the legacy, internal data center defenders knew they faced a real threat.

So, they (and the people who sell to them) created that relatively new, buzz mash-up “Private Cloud.”

Ugh. Kind of reminds you of word constructs like “enhanced interrogation” or “secret UBS account.”

The real “Cloud” suggests a “shared model” (usually called “multi-tenant” but we don’t like that term either). “Shared” is better because it conveys that costs are shared and that there’s a solid TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) story. And, that is what makes the “Cloud” a good thing.

The bottom line, “Private Cloud” is an embarrassing term created by defenders of the old order.

Allan Siegert