Recently a number of companies have been talking about cloud certifications.  The topics cover security, resilience and HIPAA among other certifications. The federal leadership in cloud computing talks about centralized certifications.

Cloud computing certifications should belong in broad categories, for example:

1. Standards: Do products or solutions adhere to industry or technology standards e.g security, etc
2. Communications: Platform portability and inter-cloud communications should fall here.  Encapsulation of multiple standards become important here.
3. Individual certifications: Does an individual have the necessary qualifications to build a cloud solution?

Given the hype in the cloud computing space, customers would expect clear certification standards for the products they pick.  Customers have been burned by picking an ERP or middleware package based on detailed requirements only to find that they are now paying for upgrades and maintenance like never before.

Overall, it is important for customers to make sure they make sure they are not locked in with one vendor.  Getting a short term boost of cost cutting may lead to a long term stickiness with one vendor and no recourse.

Do you think standards is an answer here?

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