Technische Universität Dortmund [Dortmund] (TU), Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputacion (BSC-CNS), AGH University of Science and Technology [Krakow, PL] (AGH UST), Department of Computer Science [Pisa], University of Pisa [Italy] = Università di Pisa [Italia] = Université de Pise [Italie] (UniPi), Vienna University of Technology = Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien), Microsoft Research [Redmond], Microsoft Corporation [Redmond, Wash.], T-Systems International GmbH, Institute of Informatics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences [Bratislava] (SAS), Ludwig Maximilian University [Munich] = Ludwig Maximilians Universität München (LMU), KTH Royal Institute of Technology [Stockholm] (KTH), Design and Implementation of Autonomous Distributed Systems (MYRIADS), Centre Inria de l'Université de Rennes, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-SYSTÈMES LARGE ÉCHELLE (IRISA-D1), Institut de Recherche en Informatique et Systèmes Aléatoires (IRISA), Université de Rennes (UR)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - Rennes (INSA Rennes), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université de Bretagne Sud (UBS)-École normale supérieure - Rennes (ENS Rennes)-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Télécom Bretagne-CentraleSupélec-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Rennes (UR)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - Rennes (INSA Rennes), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université de Bretagne Sud (UBS)-École normale supérieure - Rennes (ENS Rennes)-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Télécom Bretagne-CentraleSupélec-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche en Informatique et Systèmes Aléatoires (IRISA), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université de Bretagne Sud (UBS)-École normale supérieure - Rennes (ENS Rennes)-Télécom Bretagne-CentraleSupélec-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB), High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart [Stuttgart] (HLRS), University of Stuttgart = Universität Stuttgart, EML Research [Heidelberg], EMLyon Business School (EM), Kaiserslautern University of Technology, Georg-August-University of Göttingen = Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, IBM Germany, Informatics Institute [Amsterdam], Universiteit van Amsterdam = University of Amsterdam (UvA), Dipartimento di Elettronica Informatica e Sistemistica [Rende] (DEIS), Università della Calabria [Arcavacata di Rende, Italia] = University of Calabria [Italy] = Université de Calabre [Italie] (UniCal), DFN, Faculty of Computer Science [Dortmund], Regionales Rechenzentrum für Niedersachsen [Hannover] (RRZN), Leibniz Universität Hannover = Leibniz University Hannover
Grid computing has been the subject of many large national and international IT projects. However, not all goals of these projects have been achieved. In particular, the number of users lags behind the initial forecasts laid out by proponents of grid technologies. This underachievement may have led to claims that the grid concept as a whole is on its way to being replaced by Cloud computing and various X-as-a-Service approaches. In this paper, we try to analyze the current situation and to identify promising directions for future grid development. Although there are shortcomings in current grid systems, we are convinced that the concept as a whole remains valid and can benefit from new developments, including Cloud computing. Furthermore, we strongly believe that some future applications will require the grid approach and that, as a result, further research is required in order to turn this concept into reliable, efficient and user-friendly computing platforms.