IBM has announced a brand new computing strategy, aimed at big business -- selling computing power in the same fashion as electrical power.

Isn't this exactly how 'computer time' worked back in the days of the mainframe? Students were given computing credits for time on the mainframe - if you ran out of credits (you didn't), you were SOL for getting anything done...

It's a great idea for businesses that occassionally need supercomuting power, but can't afford to keep a supercomputer on premises..... but it's not all that innovative or new an idea. ;)