Ford compared this scenario to the intertwining, complex relationships and structures that helped contribute to the global financial crisis.

New cloud services may arise that essentially “resell, trade, or speculate on complex cocktails or ‘derivatives’ of more basic cloud resources and services, much like the modern financial and energy trading industries operate,” he wrote.

via Researcher: Interdependencies could lead to cloud ‘meltdowns’.

IN DEPTH: Staying ahead of cloud complexity