Sun Opening a Global Grid

In the spring, Sun will add storage services, where customers can store data on the grid on a per-gigabyte basis. By the summer, Sun officials also plan to offer development services, where customers can develop and test their applications using the grid, and third-party applications.

They also are looking at offering desktop services through the companys Sun Ray devices, she said.

Grid computing takes the open-source route. Is this a model you should follow? Find out here.

William Hurley, an analyst with Enterprise Strategy Group Inc., said Suns push with the grid makes sense. It gives customers the chance to try out Sun products that they may end up buying later and gives Sun access to markets it might otherwise be kept out of.

There is a renewed interest in the hosting model, and past concerns about such issues as security have largely been dealt with, he said.

"Security is always a high-level concern, and security is always complex," said Hurley, in Portland, Ore. "But the fact remains the technology has evolved to such a point that a vast majority of hardened concerns have been addressed."

Other companies have rolled out similar programs. IBM, of Armonk, N.Y., has opened several computing-on-demand centers around the world, where customers that need additional compute power can access the IBM systems in the center.

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