Cloud applications favor functionality, not vendor loyalty

According to a new study, software developers offering cloud products would do well to make sure their programs are fully functional and easily integrated, as those that aren't will likely be dropped by their cloud partners.

In a recent survey, CompTIA essentially concluded that cloud providers are prone to adding and subtracting software developers in order to find the right mix of services suitable for its virtual platform. This makes for a rapidly-changing and fluid marketplace, which the study claims is set to grow nonetheless. In 2011, 40 percent of IT companies making over $20 dollars expect to add more applications offerings to their cloud stacks, according to the report.

This highlights the need for cloud developers to create a program that is not only innovative, but works well in the virtual realm. Accordingly, 55 percent of responding cloud providers claimed that the ease with which programs can be integrated into their virtual platforms plays a large role in their selection of a company to partner with in the cloud.

This fluidity may create a diverse virtual environment. According to David Geada in a recent SYS-CON article, the cloud of the future will include a wealth of different IT solutions, a predicted evolution that would be unique for the IT field.