ABOVE THE NOISE: Mixed messaging from Big Blue - IBM touts an On-Demand vision that reduces IT staff, but still looks to consultants.

IBM'S ON DEMAND vision for utility-style computing is a compelling idea. But at the same time, you could be forgiven for being confused about the details. As IBM rallies the entire company around grid computing, we're left trying to digest a set of mixed messages. On- Demand is counter-cultural, challenging a whole set of metrics and assumptions upon which the IT industry is built. Technology delivered under this model requires zero tolerance for failure in order to be effective.

But software stability and reliability has long been problematic. As we do with our famed power utilities from which IBM draws the utility metaphor, we expect always-on service, but reality …