UCX has announced the beta launch of the Universal Compute Xchange. The launch of UCX builds on the news earlier this year that the CME Group (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) signed a definitive agreement to develop an IaaS Exchange.

UCX, an innovative new financial market defines a new asset class of exchange-traded products that address the risks of the digital generation, with the support, assistance, and backing of CME Group. UCX’s initial benchmark contract is based upon 6fusion’s patented Workload Allocation Cube (WACTM). The WAC represents the first commercial standard to quantify IT infrastructure supply and demand, and creates the basis for by which compute resources may be measured, and transacted. 

Organizations can now engage in price discovery and trade IaaS resources using standardized WAC financial products from a centralized, transparent market.

“Today’s global capital market structure enables corporations to reduce their risk and exposure on almost every aspect of their balance sheet, from energy to interest rates, with the exception of being able to hedge their internal and external IT infrastructure expenditures, which is one of the largest and fastest growing portions of their balance sheet. By providing the ability to trade IaaS resources, using WAC financial products, corporations can reduce their financial IT infrastructure exposure, create capital efficiencies and unlock a portion of the balance sheet that has been previously locked.” says Adam Zeck, founder and CEO of UCX.

“451 Research’s Market Monitor service estimates the combined IaaS and PaaS market to be worth over $30 Billion by 2018, a compound annual growth rate of 29%,” says Owen Rogers, Cloud Economist and Senior Analyst with 451 Research. “With so much demand for cloud services forecast, new channels to market such as cloud exchanges can help service providers grow their markets as well as assisting enterprises in procuring and managing resources more efficiently.”

UCX will be accepting applications for Beta participants starting November 15.  Selected participants will represent of a select group of cloud service providers, enterprise buyers, and experienced brokers/traders.  All participants will go through a rigorous application and evaluation process before being invited to trade on UCX. Beta trading is expected to commence January of 2015, with the full launch of the open exchange expected in the first half of 2015. Interested parties should visit our website to learn more about being considered for the Beta.

“UCX’s vision is to bring innovative products to the market that enable both supply and demand to manage risk and become more efficient,” says Zeck. “UCX is where the world will trade the cloud.”

 

This article was originally posted “UCX Launches Beta For Trading Cloud” from Cloud Strategy Magazine.