On the client-side knowing this magic mix provides guidance on how to assess proposals and select vendors.

FORBES: Building Partnerships - A Client Perspective

Crenshaw predicts that CloudForms will eventually support OpenStack as one of the cloud vendors its customers can select.

FORBES: Red Hat's Formula for an Open Cloud

Another game that EMR vendors play is they select who they want to interface to and make it very difficult to select another company.

FORBES: Is It Happening? Electronic Health Record Vendors Take Steps Toward Interoperability