In 1969, Leonard Kleinrock, one of the chief scientists of the original Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) which preceded the Internet, said: "As of now, computer networks are still in their infancy, but as they grow up and become sophisticated, we will probably see the spread of 'computer utilities' which, like present electric and telephone utilities, will service individual homes and offices across the country."

This vision of computing as a utility, based on the service provisioning model, anticipates the massive transformation of the entire IT industry in the 21^st century whereby computing and data services will be readily available on demand, like other utility services available in today’s society. And not to forget, IT service users (consumers) need to pay providers only when they access these services. Consumers no longer need to invest heavily or encounter difficulties in building and maintaining complex IT infrastructures. Therefore it’s understandable that Clouds are overwhelmed with discussions of the benefits of adopting Cloud Computing and enabling technologies such as virtualization.

What has been missing so far from the Cloud discussion is an analysis of what has to happen to make Cloud Computing a real success story.

The ISC Cloud'10 Conference is exactly what you need as an IT professional or a business leader who wants to understand what cloud computing can do for your organization. This one and a half-day conference will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the foundational elements of the cloud environment from a business, technical and research perspective. The conference will define the many terms and concepts that are fundamental to developing an understanding of cloud computing. In addition, you will learn about the economics of public, private and hybrid cloud environments as well as management, governance and security in the cloud. You will also learn how to get started with the development of a cloud services strategy that works for your organization, based on many case studies presented.

The ISC Cloud'10 Conference will include sessions about:

• Public, Private & Hybrid Cloud
• Many Case Studies from Industry & Research using vendor and end-use customer examples to examine cloud delivery models in detail: Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service
• Cloud Computing for Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises
• Cloud Computing as one possible future of High Performance Computing
• The fast-paced Hot Seat Sessions 'Hot Cloud' that have been a trademark of ISC for many years
• The 'Cloud Debate' about the Pros and Cons of Cloud Computing
• A Panel Discussion about how to start your Cloud, and finding the right Cloud strategy for your organization

The ISC Cloud'10 Conference will be the right conference to understand the set of challenges created by cloud computing and to provide an overview of the emerging networking, optimization and management technologies that hold the potential to mitigate these challenges. This conference will also prove to be of immense value if you are looking forward to networking with leading minds from around the world.

The ISC Cloud'10 Conference is a MUST for IT decision makers from industry and academia. They will gain a qualified and unbiased overview of the state-of-the-art in Cloud Computing from 11 dedicated sessions. European enterprises are currently approaching 'Clouds' with a quantum leap – a recent survey reveals that 200 European CIOs are planning on moving to the 'Cloud' in the next two years to reduce costs, improve business efficiency and the agility in their business operations.