Industry analysts have been saying for the past two years that there isn't much that can't run in the cloud. A decision by
Netflix to drop its data centre and use a service provider for corporate services--
outlined here by ComputerWorld U.S. -- would seem to be more proof of that.
When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Netflix already uses
Amazon for its video streaming service. Adding corporate services is a small step from that (although, as the article points out, it has over 1,000 virtual servers). To turn to the cloud Netflix will sign up for software-as-a-service platforms like Workday.
However, also have a look at this article in Monday's Globe and Mail, which points out Netflix is in a bit of a financial crunch at the moment, having to put up money up front for content. And, somewhat ironically, it may turn out that Amazon will become its biggest competitor.