Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
A1
B1
C1
A2
B2
C2
A3
B3
C3
Fig. 14.1:
Grid usage by scope of integration and type of involvement
(adapted from Messerschmidt 2009)
The internal use of Grid technology serves as an indication for the potential deploy-
ment of Enterprise Grids (see sec. 3.5.2.2). Thus, up to 44% of the total 70 Grid
deployments in the study sample may be Enterprise Grids. Alternatively, that would
be up to 8% of the studies total sample. It is possible that the percentage of Enterprise
Grids in the study sample is higher than that, as some of the companies in cells C1,
C2 and C3 (see fig. 14.1) may also operate an Enterprise Grid.
Grid technology exclusively used for obtaining additional IT resources from an
external provider is an indication that a Utility Grid (see sec. 3.5.2.3) may be in play,
i.e. the IT resources are obtained from a third party that operates a Utility Grid. So,
up to 17% of the total 70 companies that use Grid may do so through an Utility Grid
owned and operated by a third party. Alternatively, that would be just above 3% of
the total study sample. It is possible that the percentage of Utility Grid users in the
study sample is higher than that, as some of the companies in cells B3, C1 and C3
(see fig. 14.1) may also obtain IT resources from a Utility Grid.
Obtaining, while also providing IT resources across company borders, is one
characteristic of a VO (see sec. 3.5.2.4). It can therefore be taken as an indication
that the 5 companies in cells B3 and C3 (see fig. 14.1) may be part of a VO. In
addition to sharing of heterogeneous recourses across company borders, a defining
