Grid computing: Its $12bn time is coming, say analysts

Like RFID before it, grid computing has been accused of been all hype and no substance. Not so, say the analysts - the grid market is about to explode into billions of dollars.

Analyst house IDC is predicting in its latest report, Role of Grid Computing in the Coming Innovation Wave, that grid computing will be worth $12bn by 2007.

According to IDC, it's all a question of maturity. When grid finally gets its act together in terms of software and standards, and spreads beyond niche high performance computing applications, the technology should make it onto CIOs' must-have list for their data centres.

Grid's introduction will be slow but users' desire for a more efficient use of infrastructure and improved communications will drive adoption.

However, grid evangelists may have to put up with a more gentle pace of adoption: grid will only enter the mainstream via non-mission-critical applications, analysts predict.