Thursday 11 March 2010
Platform Computing, the leader in cluster,
grid and cloud management software, is expanding cloud computing capabilities
for high performance computing (HPC) with two new offerings. The company today
announced the release of Platform ISF Adaptive Cluster, a product that
dynamically changes the operating systems and personalities of compute nodes
managed by Platform LSF and Platform Symphony. It effectively increases
application capacity and resource utilization by consolidating heterogeneous
application clusters and allows organizations to build an internal cloud for
HPC. Platform Computing also announced new cloud bursting capabilities that
will permit Platform HPC customers to seamlessly redirect peak workloads from
their internal HPC infrastructure to external cloud resources on a pay-per-use
basis in order to optimally meet service levels. Together, these offerings
let HPC users take advantage of cloud computing by utilizing both internal
private resources and external public cloud offerings.
“Our 17 years in the HPC industry have proven to us that the demand for
compute resources will continue to grow exponentially, driving organizations
to seek ways to maximize their existing infrastructures to meet increasing
capacity needs,” said Peter Nichol, General Manager, HPC Business Unit,
Platform Computing. “It’s clear that the future of HPC lies in cloud
computing, which is why Platform is partnering with cloud leaders and
developing its solution set to allow organizations to take full advantage of
their existing infrastructure investments while capitalizing on the endless
capacity of the cloud.”
Platform ISF Adaptive Cluster
Platform ISF Adaptive Cluster is a new product offering in the Platform ISF
family that enables organizations to create an internal cloud for running HPC
applications and is integrated with Platform LSF and Platform Symphony. The
product dynamically changes the operating system and associated application
stack on demand thereby maximizing resource usage and service levels based on
workload. It does this by automatically provisioning Linux and Windows
operating systems from bare metal or initiating the right guest operating
system within a virtual machine container on the compute nodes upon
application demand.
To ensure application availability and guaranteed performance, many
enterprises employ multiple HPC clusters, each assigned to run a specific
application that requires either a Linux or Windows environment. Inevitably
this results in cluster silos and “cluster sprawls” with low utilization and
high management costs. Platform ISF Adaptive Cluster consolidates the
previous application silos into an internal cloud environment that dynamically
provisions Linux and Windows operating systems based on application demand to
maximize resource usage and service levels. Utilization rates of separate
server clusters typically ranging between 40 - 50 percent - can be increased
to 80 - 90 percent.
“While the 30 - 50 percent improvement in cluster utilization rates speaks for
itself, it’s the fact that we’re leveraging concepts from cloud computing and
applying them to HPC cluster silos for optimization, that really demonstrates
Platform’s commitment to driving the next wave of HPC management software,”
said Jingwen Wang, Vice President Products, Platform Computing. “Our HPC
customers in industries such as research, oil and gas, industrial
manufacturing, and financial services will benefit dramatically from the
improved HPC infrastructure agility by saving on hardware and operational
costs, maximizing HPC resource utilization and improving their end-user
productivity.”
The Platform ISF Adaptive Cluster is available immediately and can be
purchased directly from Platform or its resellers. For additional information
please visit
http://www.platform.com/Products/platform-isf/platform-isf-adaptive-cluster.
Cloud Bursting Capability
Delivered as a solution in the Platform ISF family, the new cloud bursting
capability allows Platform HPC customers to access external cloud resources to
offload peak workloads from internal HPC infrastructure on a pay-per-use
basis. The new solution allows HPC users to use external resources while
operating in a managed, private cloud environment as required by enterprise
governance and compliance regulations. Platform is working with external cloud
service providers to publish a machine image of the Platform HPC management
software stack, which includes Platform LSF, Platform Symphony, Platform
Cluster Manager and the new Platform MPI, to ensure Platform customers have a
single, user-friendly interface to transparently leverage both their internal
enterprise infrastructure for HPC and the external cloud for overflow.
With economic pressure forcing existing infrastructure to handle workload
demands that often exceed capacity, many Platform customers are investigating
alternative infrastructure models, such as cloud, to more effectively
provision for peak workload spikes.
About Platform Computing
Platform Computing is the leader in cluster, grid and cloud management
software - serving more than 2,000 of the world’s most demanding
organizations. For 17 years, our workload and resource management solutions
have delivered IT responsiveness and lower costs for enterprise and HPC
applications. Platform has strategic relationships with Cray, Dell, HP, IBM,
Intel, Microsoft, Red Hat, and SAS. Visit www.platform.com.
OpSource, Inc., the leader in Cloud operations, today announced that OpSource CEO Treb Ryan and CTO John Rowell will speak at SIIA OnDemand 2009, which will take place October 28-30, 2009, at the San Jose Marriott in San Jose, California. SIIA OnDemand is produced by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the nation’s leading independent authority on Software as a Service. The conference is focusing this year on identifying new ways for SaaS companies to drive revenue, including by playing in the emerging Cloud marketplace.
OpSource executives will focus not only on the promise of Cloud computing for the Enterprise, but its practical implementation. Ryan will speak on “Cloud Platforms and Solutions: Business Models and Architectures for Value Creation in Enterprise” on Tuesday, October 29th from 9:15-10 a.m. From 3:45-4:25 that afternoon, Rowell will discuss “Which Cloud is Right for You?”
Ryan and Rowell will draw on their experience bringing OpSource Cloud™, the first Cloud to bring together the availability, flexibility and community of the public Cloud with the security, performance and control the enterprise requires, to the marketplace. OpSource Cloud is now in public Beta and available for on-line purchase by the hour from www.opsourcecloud.net.
“The promise of Cloud computing has captured the enterprise’s imagination,” said Treb Ryan, CEO, OpSource. “Now, the real work begins. The conversations at SIIA OnDemand will be great catalysts for finding ways to bring the collaborative power of the Cloud to the enterprise without sacrificing security or control. John and I look forward to being a part of this critical dialogue.”
Journalists and analysts who would like to meet with OpSource executives at SIIA OnDemand should contact Eileen Conway at econway@opsource.net.
About OpSource Cloud
OpSource Cloud offers companies the true Cloud, combining the availability, flexibility and community of the public Cloud with the security, performance and control that the enterprise demands. Its features include:
Best of the Public Cloud
– Easy online sign-up with infrastructure provisioning in minutes
– Pay by the hour and only for what you use, with no commitment (unless
so desired)
– Community resources for sharing and collaboration, third party add-ins
and configurations
– Web interface plus complete set of APIs
Enterprise Security & Compliance
– Virtual Private Clouds with user-specified public Internet
connectivity
– Unique customizable security for firewalls
– User-level login/password and access control
– SAS 70 Audited Cloud
– One hundred percent uptime SLA
Enterprise Performance
– Multiple private networks on demand for multi-tier architecture
– Guaranteed sub-millisecond latency between systems
– Industry standard technology including VMware, Cisco, EMC, Microsoft
and Red Hat
– User selectable server configurations
Enterprise Controls
– Centralized control and billing
– Master and departmental management and controls
– Sub-account permissions and budgeting
– Complete reporting
– 24X7 phone support plus online community support and ticketing/status
tracking
About OpSource
OpSource™ provides complete Cloud operations, infrastructure and services for companies of all sizes, from Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) ISVs to the enterprise, with hundreds of applications, millions of users and billions of transactions supported daily.
OpSource Cloud™ is the first Cloud to bring together the flexibility, availability and community of the public Cloud with the security, performance and control the enterprise demands. Emphasizing security, OpSource Cloud provides enterprise users with a Virtual Private Cloud within the public Cloud, allowing them to determine their own degree of Internet connectivity. For more information, visit www.opsourcecloud.net.
OpSource On-Demand™ empowers SaaS ISVs to bring the Cloud to the enterprise by quickly and securely delivering their applications and services over the Web. Going far beyond full-featured managed hosting, the comprehensive, award-winning Cloud operations solution includes the application management, compliance and business services that are necessary for on-demand business success.
Headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., OpSource has Cloud and Web application delivery centers in Virginia, London and Bangalore. For more information about OpSource, visit www.opsource.net.
OpSource, OpSource Cloud, OpSource On-Demand, and the OpSource logo are trademarks of OpSource, Inc. All other trademarks and company names mentioned are protected by their respective owners.
For additional information, please contact:
Eileen Conway
OpSource, Inc.
650-245-9015
econway@opsource.net
OpSource, Inc., the leader in Cloud operations, today announced a strategic partnership with Bplats, a leading Japanese technology consulting company, to bring OpSource Cloud(TM), the first Cloud to bring together the flexibility, availability and community of the public Cloud with the security, performance and control the enterprise requires, to the Japanese marketplace. The Japanese launch of OpSource Cloud is scheduled for November 4, 2009.
“Currently there are no Cloud solutions available in Japan,” said Huzita Kenzi, president, Bplats. “To introduce the highly acclaimed OpSource Cloud to the Japanese market so quickly after its public availability in the Unites States is a major milestone for our marketplace. OpSource Cloud will not only meet enterprises’ growing demand for Cloud computing but will bring Japanese companies the most powerful solution available today.”
Bplats will offer a unique, localized transaction system that will enable Japanese companies to make all financial transactions locally, including bank transfers, payments and invoices. In addition, Japanese customers will be able to get in-person, native language support by working with locally based Bplats. Bplats is also offering a specialized and localized website that will offer a deep level of information and service about OpSource Cloud, building a Japanese community around this key Cloud offering. For more information please visit http://www.bplats.co.jp/cloud/.
OpSource Cloud is designed to allow IT departments to manage their security as they would within their internal IT infrastructure. Upon sign-up, each customer receives a Virtual Private Network and sets the degree of public Internet connectivity they wish to grant, from totally private to fully available. OpSource Cloud also provides user customizable security with a compliant, high-performance multi-tier Cloud architecture and full user control over firewall settings. In addition, other enterprise quality controls include user level login and passwords, operational permissions and departmental and sub-department reporting, all backed by a 100% SLA. OpSource Cloud is built on the same standard technology already being employed by enterprise IT. This ensures out-of-the-box trust, compatibility and productivity. With virtualization playing such a key role in Cloud computing, OpSource has selected VMware for virtualization and application portability between the Cloud and Enterprise.
For users weaned on the public Cloud experience, OpSource Cloud offers online sign-up, pay by the hour usage, and rich online communities. And immediate availability and flexibility ensure that developers and enterprise IT alike have access to enterprise quality computing capability when they need it, paying for it only when it is being used. This is the promise of Cloud computing and OpSource Cloud delivers it.
“Whereas Cloud business in the United States is mainly direct, system integrators are essential to the Cloud’s success in Japan,” said Treb Ryan, CEO, OpSource. “We are pleased to team with Bplats, the leading technology consultants in Japan, to bring OpSource Cloud to this crucial marketplace. We look forward to helping leading Japanese enterprises experience the collaborative, community-based power of the Cloud.”
About OpSource Cloud
OpSource Cloud offers companies the true Cloud, combining the availability, flexibility and community of the public Cloud with the security, performance and control that the enterprise demands. Its features include:
Best of the Public Cloud
– Easy online sign-up with infrastructure provisioning in minutes
– Pay by the hour and only for what you use, with no commitment (unless
so desired)
– Community resources for sharing and collaboration, third party add-ins
and configurations
– Web interface plus complete set of APIs
Enterprise Security & Compliance
– Virtual Private Clouds with user-specified public Internet
connectivity
– Unique customizable security for firewalls
– User-level login/password and access control
– SAS 70 Audited Cloud
– One hundred percent uptime SLA
Enterprise Performance
– Multiple private networks on demand for multi-tier architecture
– Guaranteed sub-millisecond latency between systems
– Industry standard technology including VMware, Cisco, EMC, Microsoft
and Red Hat
– User selectable server configurations
Enterprise Controls
– Centralized control and billing
– Master and departmental management and controls
– Sub-account permissions and budgeting
– Complete reporting
– 24X7 phone support plus online community support and ticketing/status
tracking
About OpSource
OpSource(TM) provides complete Cloud operations, infrastructure and services for companies of all sizes, from Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) ISVs to the enterprise, with hundreds of applications, millions of users and billions of transactions supported daily.
OpSource Cloud(TM) is the first Cloud to bring together the flexibility, availability and community of the public Cloud with the security, performance and control the enterprise demands. Emphasizing security, OpSource Cloud provides enterprise users with a Virtual Private Cloud within the public Cloud, allowing them to determine their own degree of Internet connectivity. For more information, visit www.opsourcecloud.net.
OpSource On-Demand(TM) empowers SaaS ISVs to bring the Cloud to the enterprise by quickly and securely delivering their applications and services over the Web. Going far beyond full-featured managed hosting, the comprehensive, award-winning Cloud operations solution includes the application management, compliance and business services that are necessary for on-demand business success.
Headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., OpSource has Cloud and Web application delivery centers in Virginia, London and Bangalore. For more information about OpSource, visit www.opsource.net.
OpSource, OpSource Cloud, OpSource On-Demand, and the OpSource logo are trademarks of OpSource, Inc. All other trademarks and company names mentioned are protected by their respective owners.
For additional information, please contact:
Eileen Conway
OpSource, Inc.
650-245-9015
econway@opsource.net
Job in Cloud Computing
If you need a job or if you need to find skilled employees, look to the clouds at www.cloudjobs.net where you can post or find a job in the Cloud Computing Jobs.
SaaS is the latest innovation in Internet technology. The term “cloud” is a metaphor used to describe the Internet. Cloud computing is a style of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are provided as a service over the Internet. Users need not have knowledge of, expertise in, or control over the technology infrastructure in the “cloud” that supports them.
Parent company, Cloudcor, Inc. recently revised their online service portal to make it easier to use and more intuitive than any other online resource offers both free and paid services which can be accessed from anywhere in the world.
The new control panel is easy to understand and even easier to use meaning visitors will spend more time on finding that right job instead of trying to figure out how to use the system
.
There are many jobs already available at www.CloudJobs.net including jobs that require vmware certification and experience. HPC and data center specialists are also in high demand on http://www.CloudJobs.net.
Cloud Jobs was founded in 2008 by former Fortune 50 consultants with a great deal of experience in IT technologies, computing models, software services and more. Our newsletter, the Cloud Computing Group, is read by over 17,500 readers, making it currently the largest Cloud and grid computing group in the world. We have successfully helped qualified professionals land careers in some of the world’s leading companies including: Intel, Microsoft , Amazon, Argonne National Lab, SGI, Hitachi, CitiCorp, IBM, HP, SUN and more.
For more information about Cloud Jobs and its services, please contact Khazret Sapenov at:
Cloudcor Inc.
2980 Don Mills Rd., Suite 910
Toronto, Ontario, M2J 3B9 Canada
tel: (510) 984-2312
fax: (510) 373-1709
e-mail: info@cloudjobs.net
Website: http://www.CloudJobs.net
Press Information:
Calciustech
Cloudcor Inc
2980 Don Mills Rd, Suite 910
Contact Person:
Cloudcor Inc
Finding a job is easy at CloudJobs.net
Phone: 510-984-2312 x2544
Citrix Systems
Citrix Systems, Inc. announced today that the “Power IT Down Day” alliance of Citrix, Microsoft, Intel and HP will underscore their commitment to the August 27 energy awareness event by making a financial donation of at least $20,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project. This donation serves as a tangible reminder of the money that could be saved – and put to good use – when government and industry “power down” their IT equipment.
“We are honored to be selected for this year’s Power IT Down Day,” said the Wounded Warrior Project Executive Director, Steve Nardizzi. “Citrix and its industry partners have created an excellent tool to raise awareness about green IT and responsible energy consumption while helping the Wounded Warrior Project in our mission to honor and empower wounded warriors.”
The second annual Power IT Down Day, scheduled for August 27 of this year, encourages individuals in government and industry to be responsible energy consumers by turning off computers, monitors, printers and electronic devices at the end of the business day. On the first Power IT Down Day, over 2,800 government and industry employees pledged their participation and conserved more than 37,000 kilowatt-hours.
“We believe in the importance of the individual’s impact on energy conservation and the resulting cost savings,” said Tom Simmons, Citrix area vice president for Government Systems. “We also believe in the good work being done by the Wounded Warrior Project to assist our country’s severely injured service men and women – an important effort which also began with the inspired actions of a few individuals. We’re proud to leverage Power IT Down Day to help support this amazing organization.”
The Wounded Warrior Project provides support for the nation’s severely wounded military personnel, helping them on the road to healing, both physically and mentally. Unique, direct programs and services help to meet the needs of these service members, and the organization works tirelessly to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid to address the needs of our severely injured troops.
Additional information about Power IT Down Day and green IT can be found at www.hp.com/go/poweritdown, where individuals can sign up to “power down” their IT equipment to save energy and cut costs.
To learn more about the Wounded Warrior Project or to make a donation, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.
About Citrix Systems, Inc.
Citrix Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of virtualization, networking and software-as-a-service (SaaS) technologies for more than 230,000 organizations worldwide. Its Citrix Delivery Center, Citrix Cloud Center (C3) and Citrix Online Services product families radically simplify computing for millions of users, delivering applications as an on-demand service to any user, in any location on any device. Citrix customers include the world’s largest Internet companies, 99 percent of Fortune Global 500 enterprises, and hundreds of thousands of small businesses and prosumers worldwide. Citrix partners with over 10,000 companies worldwide in more than 100 countries. Founded in 1989, annual revenue in 2008 was $1.6 billion.
High Performance Computing Survey
Over a quarter (28 percent) of IT executives surveyed are planning to deploy private cloud in 2009, according to a survey of delegates by Platform Computing at the International Supercomputing Conference (ISC’09) in June 2009. This planned adoption of private cloud within High Performance Computing (HPC) is being driven by the increased workload demand of applications and the need for IT to cut costs at the same time. As the leader in grid and cloud computing software, Platform Computing has been tracking adoption of private clouds and this level of intent to deploy reflects steadily changing attitudes in IT departments.
Cloud computing is an IT delivery model that provides infrastructure and computer resources as a service. By implementing a private cloud, IT leverages the power of sharing to maximize the utilization of compute, networking and storage resources in an organization. The compute-intensive nature of HPC applications lends themselves to the benefits of shared resource pools of private clouds. The concept of cloud computing has generated considerable buzz in recent months and is expected to become increasingly popular over the next few years. According to Gartner, by 2012 80 percent of Fortune 1000 enterprises will be paying for some cloud computing services and 30 percent will be paying for cloud computing infrastructure services.
The survey also cited that IT executives are positive about the benefits of the technology, with most (41 percent) citing ‘improving efficiency’ as the biggest motivation for establishing a private cloud. This was followed by ‘resource scalability’ (18 percent), ‘cutting costs’ (17 percent), ‘experimenting with cloud computing’ (15 percent) and ‘improving IT responsiveness’ (9 percent).
The majority (67 percent) said they are planning to run simulation and modelling applications on cloud, highlighting the need for greater power for compute intensive tasks. When asked what other applications they were planning to run using cloud, 32 percent said web services, while 18 percent said business analytics.
Yet before this takes place, several internal hurdles need to be overcome. Business decision makers are not fully aware of the benefits the technology can deliver — according to the survey findings, 76 percent of IT executives admit they do not feel that business decision makers understand the potential of private clouds. Also, according to respondents, over one third (37 percent) felt organizational culture was the biggest barrier to establishing a private cloud. The survey demonstrates that while IT executives recognize the benefits that private clouds can deliver over the traditional approach to IT, and want to deploy quickly, some decision-makers still need convincing. Others cited complexity of managing (26 percent), security (21 percent), upfront costs (8 percent) and application software licensing (8 percent).
“The private cloud route offers organizations a responsive, cost effective infrastructure model and supports IT’s obligation to oversee fundamental corporate requirements, including governance, compliance, business continuity, cost management and risk management,” said Randy Clark, chief marketing officer, Platform Computing. “IT executives are clearly convinced about the efficiencies and cost savings that private clouds will deliver, but as the research highlights, senior business decision makers are not yet on-board. If enterprises are to reap the full benefits of private clouds, the IT function will evolve to become a business service partner to the business. While this transition will not happen overnight it’s hugely important and will require internal leadership and world-class vendor support.”
Notes to editor: Survey of 103 IT executives completed at the International Supercomputing Conference (ISC) in June 2009. For more information about the conference please visit: http://www.supercomp.de/isc09/.
About Platform Computing
Platform Computing is the leader in grid and cloud computing software that dynamically connects IT resources to workload demand according to business policies. Over 2,000 of the world’s largest organizations rely on our solutions to improve IT productivity and reduce data center costs. Platform has strategic relationships with Cray, Dell, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Red Hat, and SAS. Building on 17 years of market leadership, Platform continues to help data centers be more efficient, responsive and dynamic. Visit www.platform.com.
Google’s Chrome operating system (OS) will operate on and allow immediate access to Web-based applications, which prominently includes the company’s cloud computing offerings. The OS will be designed to work originally with netbooks, providing what is being called an “Internet-based experience”, and will be expanded thereafter to laptops and desktops. CSC announced plans to resell Microsoft’s Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) while providing all Level 1 and 2 support for the included products. They will also offer a mix of BPOS hosted by Microsoft, the version hosted in CSC’s “Trusted Cloud” and their already existing email management services as a multifaceted, cost-saving option.
After much speculation, it appears that the pricing of Microsoft Azure’s services could be up to 10% less than the cost of using Amazon Web Services. Industry sources have stated that Microsoft will “charge per 10 gigabyte database units, with other fees based on bandwidth and query activity.”
This guest post from Jonathan Sapir discusses the cloud computing revolution, including how the technology removes the boundaries previously enforced by IT and how the idea of users servicing themselves becomes more realistic with every day. t the HotCloud ‘09 conference in San Diego, CA, numerous groups made proposals in an effort to battle significant cloud computing issues. The IT Knowledge Exchange presents this free chapter excerpt from Power in the Cloud by Jonathan Sapir. The next step in IBM’s cloud computing strategy will be to offer business analytics tools as part of its services. Having these tools off-site will offer companies an opportunity to host and analyze large amounts of data elsewhere.
With the world permanently and ubiquitously online, the question will be about the user experience,” says Agarwal. “Access to the web and to the information you want will be available anywhere and at any time from a whole myriad of devices. The iPhone may be credited as the device that first made the mobile internet a truly enjoyable user experience through its large touchscreen display, and similar handsets are being produced. But this is only one side of the move away from the desktop as the main point of contact with the web. The other side of the development will see television and the web fully converge, giving a more complete and interactive experience. Voice-enabled web will make it possible to control your computer through voice commands,” says Agarwal. Microsoft and Nuance serve as incumbents to this technology, and other companies have the opportunity to develop it.
Through the realisation of cloud computing we will be able to synchronise our online life and always have access to our personal media assets, no matter where we are. We will be able to edit, create and share movies, documents and personal media within this cloud through online apps that no longer require local software installation.
With Window 7 released to manufacturing on schedule, more and more businesses are examining their feelings about the move from Windows XP. Though somewhat uncharted waters, the overall consensus is good. Confidence has been restored and definite plans are in place by many to make the transition as soon as possible. TechRepublic recently featured the results of a pool of IT decision makers in various industries. These IT leaders were asked if they plan to deploy Windows 7 by the end of 2010. Ffifty-percent said they are expecting to have it done by that time with the remaining majority set to deploy at a later date. Below are a few of the reasons given in favor of early adoption as well as those for the delayed.
Cloud computing on the horizon - The impact of the adoption of cloud computing solutions makes it virtually impossible to say what the next generation of desktop computing will be like. A delay in the move from XP could place the business at a disadvantage, especially in terms of security.
Does this mean Google wants to be in the software development game or the web hosting business? What’s the company’s vision for App Engine, and where does it fit in the cloud computing landscape? SearchCloudComputing.com caught up with Mike Repass, product manager for Google App Engine, during a recent trip to California. here are lots of people carving out bits of the public web and fencing it off. We’d like to keep it open and App Engine is a way to encourage that. We’re saying, let’s build a business that supports web advocacy, even though it may be low margin, let’s make it easy for people to build on the web. We’re never going to get to the level of Microsoft, in terms of the number of people we have in support and training and all of that, but maybe we can think up some novel solutions for that.
Hosting is a commodity business. Adwords, is the highest margin business of all time, and we’ll never get that margin off App Engine. It’s the same for Saleforce.com on their core business, selling CRM as a service, versus Force.com. They are really pushing Force.com, but perhaps for promotional purposes or lead generation, it’s a loss leader and perhaps we are in the same boat. The question gets at, what are Google’s core competencies? We know how to deal with hundreds of thousands of machines. All our hardware is custom built and not something we could easily serve up at a raw level in a way that makes sense to people. Infrastructure as a service would be a play against Google’s core competencies.
