Hey there! CloudConnect is next week (already?) and while some of us are already on a plane heading to the Bay area to kick things off (Shlomo Swidler is already on his way, according to his tweets at 36,000 feet) some of us will be lounging preparing for our various workshops and panels until early next week.

That being the case, if you’re not going to be attending and thus missing the panel I’m moderating (what? How could you miss that?) but had a burning question you wanted to ask one of the panelists, let me know. Leave a comment, send a tweet, compose an e-mail, write me a letter (better hurry, Green Bay is a long way from everywhere). If we can fit it in (how many people actually ask live questions during the Q&A, right?) we’ll get it answered, and tweet or post a follow-up next week.

Come to think of it, even if you are attending and just can’t make the panel, or you’re like me and don’t like asking questions in public, send your question anyway.

Infrastructure Interoperability in a Cloudy World
Interoperability between networks has fueled the growth of applications that has in turn spurred the growth of networks and internetworking. This cycle has led to increasing strain on networks, applications, and people who manage them. The 'virtualization' of networks, servers, storage, and applications as well as cloud computing not only quickens growth rates, but changes the nature of demand placed on infrastructure. Virtualization and cloud computing ultimately require new kinds of interoperability to reduce the burdens imposed by these technologies. This panel of cloud computing vendors and users will review the challenges of dynamic infrastructure design -- infrastructure capable of sustaining growth while relieving stress -- and will suggest the types of standards necessary to make those infrastructures a reality.

Our notable panel includes (in order of the value of the bribes they sent to ensure I was nice to them*):

• Rich Miller, General Manager and Principal, Telematica Inc.
• Surendra Reddy, Vice President, Cloud Computing, Yahoo
• Glenn Dasmalchi, Technical Chief of Staff, Cisco
• Bob Grossman, Managing Partner, Open Data Group
• Apurva Dave, Vice President, Product Marketing and Alliances, Riverbed Technology

So if you’ve got a question, let me know! I’ll do my best to get it answered.

*Not really true, the order is from the panel listing on the CloudConnect site. No one has bribed me to be nice. Yet. :-)