This is Linux.com's new forum for community members to discuss cloud computing and the open cloud. Just like the LF's upcoming CloudOpen conference in August, the forum is intended to help highlight the people, projects and ideas behind the open source cloud and advance the conversation around creating open standards for cloud computing.

I'd like to know why it's important for businesses to fight for an open cloud. The threat of vendor lock-in is a widely cited reason and received a bit of attention recently at GigaOM’s Structure Conference after presenters discussed whether Amazon Web Services should be considered competition or the new de facto standard.

Amazon certainly provides motivation for competitors but it can't be the only threat, here. Why support an open cloud?