More Leading Indicators for Cloud Computing

Two more companies I've recently come across that will help accelerate this model: RightScale, essentially brokers AWS infrastructure, while providing a easier-to-use "dashboard, and FlexiScale, a UK-based company, that's trying to take-on Amazon's web services at its own game. (I guess you need to have the word "scale" in your name nowadays...)

• RightScale provides a platform and consulting services that enable companies to create scalable web solutions running on Amazon Web Services (AWS) that are reliable, easy to manage, and cost less. The RightScale dashboard saves time in maintaining, managing and monitoring all AWS activities, while RightGrid coordinates the auto-scaling of servers according to usage load. The RightImage library provides pre-built installation templates for common software stacks, and RightScale DeltaSets make it easy to customize and manage modifications to machine images. Together with Amazon Elastic Compute CloudAmazon Simple Storage Service (S3) and Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS) — RightScale enables a next-generation platform for deploying highly scalable web applications.
  
• FlexiScale's claims:
• Provisioning & Scalability:Additional servers can be launched and load-balanced in <1 style="font-weight: bold;">
• Flexibility:OS agnostic - we support MS Server and all common versions of Linux; Clone a server image and re-use for another test or production server; Policy engine based load-balancing between physical servers
• Self-service via Control Panel or API:Provisioning of Virtual Dedicated Servers; Start, stop and delete Virtual Dedicated Servers; Resize memory and storage
• Quality of Service: Fully monitored system - network, storage and servers; Fully automated HW recovery;Flexible snapshot based backups;Secure - each customer has their own VLAN and their own virtual disks
• Pricing: No subscription fees and no minimum term contract;Simple to understand utility pay-as-you-go pricing model with no catches;Billing module that lets customers see transparently what resources they have been using

I'm sure we'll be seeing more competitors like these in the coming months.