Krechmer earns prize for paper on cloud computing

Ken Krechmer, an instructor at the University of Colorado Boulder, has won first prize in the global IEC-IEEE Challenge, presented by the International Electrotechnical Commission and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, for a paper on cloud computing standardization.

His paper addresses how cloud computing promises to dramatically simplify the development and deployment of new economic, social and environmental applications. Such applications represent very large commercial opportunities. Standardization of the cloud computing building blocks and interfaces is vital to establishing multinational markets and to balance the vendor's desire for commercial gain with the public's desire for open interfaces. Commercial gain and open interfaces need not be opposing goals and Krechmer’s paper develops how the standards for these building blocks and interfaces may be designed to maximize both goals.

The recognition comes with a $20,000 award.