Washington Times – KELLNER: Cloud computing a Microsoft threat?.  From what I’ve seen, Microsoft is actively combating this with their Software + Services offering.

The battle really comes down to whether you want to drive the car of your choice to work (desktops apps), or depend on public transportation (cloud).  Software + services is like having a Hummer H3 and an unlimited booklet of bus passes   (Personally, I’d prefer cheaper personal transport).

Of course, there are risks with cloud computing as well (What’s your “Web Service Tanked” contigency plan?)  Nothing like a transportation worker strike to kill public transportation and leave you stranded with no way home.

Cloud wars are on the horizon.  Yes, running standalone apps are an expensive and inflexible form of transportation.  However, will the business side tolerate staying in the clouds all the time without the option of being able to operate from extended periods on the ground?  I understand that there are offline modes for the best offerings, but they’re short term contingencies, not long term operational options.