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Benefits and recommendations
Benefits
The obvious benefits of grid computing include cost effectiveness and the efficient use of computing power and processors. As in the case examples, grid also enables a quicker processing time for long, complicated applications. It also creates a networking environment with a common management interface which helps managers introduce new applications more efficiently.
In summary, as vendors such as IBM and Sun Microsystems suggest, grid computing is considered benefiting businesses in the following way:
• Better ROI, due to the maximization of existing resources
• Improved business agility
• Improved business flexibility
• Simplification of IT and operating systems
• Improved availability and productivity
• Better collaboration and virtual organization
Recommendations
If you are currently a small to medium-sized firm, the benefits of grid computing may not outweigh the costs involved in creating and maintaining your grid. It is wise to keep up with grid's progress at this point. Small to medium-sized firms should hold out for more consolidation and standardization of grid-enabling applications. The reason being that licensing and scaling problems prevent small to medium-sized companies from reaping the full benefits of grid - yet.
That being said, the Globus tool kit and the Sun Grid,
for example, are network grid utilities that have been developed recently and are hitting the market as we speak. SAP and other major applications are also working toward becoming grid-enabled, as that has been another obstacle in the transformation of enterprise networks to grid.
For now, managers of smaller firms should keep a close watch over how successful these enterprise grid utilities and applications become and then decide whether it will be worth the cost of purchasing and setting up a smaller grid system in their companies.
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