A big idea: Grid computing, the new commodity

European researchers have created a platform for trading computing resources that allows the selling and buying of standardised computing resources. In the process, they could make computing a utility like electricity.

The EU-funded GridEcon project has created a commodity market platform that enables users to bid on available computing capacity, or put out a tender for a specific computing time slot.

It is true that organisations can already rent ‘cloud’ computing capacity from companies like Amazon, HP and others, but they generally only offer their spare capacity.

The beauty of GridEcon’s platform is that it is open – users can buy and sell computing capacity on their own terms. And buyers can also be sellers. If a company has a large computer park it can offer its spare capacity, but if it has a temporary need for much greater capacity it can bid for it on the marketplace.

Link: cordis.europa.eu/ictresults/