Evolution of Cloud Server Platforms

Cloud operators realized early on that servers originally designed for enterprise data centers were not optimal for their application. These servers are well known branded machines from manufacturers such as Dell, Hewlett Packard Enterprise or SuperMicro, known as original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs. Instead, they deploy in house designs with machines built by contract original design manufacturers, or ODMs. The cloud platform ecosystem represents an evolution of the standard high volume enterprise server ecosytem that started in the early 1990s. We document this evolution and look at some of the business and technology opportunities that this evolution brings.