Abstract
The current access policies and funding schemes of computing e-infrastructures represent a huge challenge for the sustainable growth of computing e-infrastructures and a serious jeopardy for investments made into these e-infrastructures. In order to be able to address these issues, the economics of computing e-infrastructures has to be understood thoroughly. As a first step in this direction, this paper conducts a set of computing e-infrastructure case studies and discusses the economic issues of different global computing e-infrastructure efforts. The analyses results show that the major shortcomings that need to be resolved are the insufficient involvement of the private sector in the development of computing e-infrastructures, the restricted user access to e-infrastructure resources, and the lack of sustainable funding. As a solution to these shortcomings, we propose a new funding and governing model for computing e-infrastructures. It follows a token-based market mechanism that allows a business-oriented operation of the computing e-infrastructure. We argue that this new model fosters the transition towards a sustainable computing e-infrastructure, being another requirement for successfully implementing the cloud computing vision. Our arguments are supported by an analytical analysis.
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Bany Mohammed, A.A., Altmann, J. A funding and governing model for achieving sustainable growth of computing e-infrastructures. Ann. Telecommun. 65, 739–756 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12243-010-0188-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12243-010-0188-9