Rackspace

Cloud computing is the new hot trend, but anyone business that has tried to move itself into the cloud has generally been in for a shock. Yes, the cloud may be cheaper than owning servers, but it has its own painful issues. Enter startup Standing Cloud, which wants to make the jump to the cloud into a cake walk.

Clouds float free, but customers using cloud computing services are often nailed down by proprietary software. Not for long: This week, No. 2 cloud services provider Rackspace Hosting said it will join forces with NASA to make their software open-source in an initiative called OpenStack.