SAP announced a broad set of plans to become a player in cloud computing, spanning from a "loosely coupled suite" of business applications to data integration and PaaS (platform as a service) Tuesday during the Sapphire conference in Orlando.

This evening's annual Codie awards for business software features a three-way tie in cloud computing, with Google, Keynote Systems, and Scribe Software all winning in the Best Cloud Application/Service category.

While Dell's recent string of new acquisitions probably won't continue at the same breakneck pace that has been seen over the past several weeks, experts agree that the company is in the midst of a major strategic shift.

The equation according to Dell bosses, Tim Griffin and Jay Turner, is simple: keep acquiring and keep changing the big picture of what Dell is. The once hardware provider now wants to be seen as a solutions company.

The options for cloud and SaaS (software as a service) data integration grew larger on Wednesday with the announcement of Talend Cloud, a new product from open-source vendor Talend.

A little-noted announcement earlier this month could have huge implications for cloud take-up in smaller businesses. Dell has snapped up Boomi, a company that describes itself as a "cloud integrator."

Hoping to move up the enterprise ladder, SaaS-style application integration provider Boomi detailed on Tuesday a new version of its service, replete with features targeted specifically at large enterprises.