Yahoo, HP and Intel have announced that they will jointly set up six virtual research centres designed to test emerging cloud computing technologies.

One of these centres will be right here in Singapore – hosted by the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA). Two other centres will be at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany. HP, Yahoo and Intel with also host one centre each.

Cloud computing essentially refers to the concept of using vast arrays of globally distributed computers as a platform for delivering services. Many industry watchers consider cloud computing to be the next big thing in IT. Research firm Gartner predicts that it will be as influential as e-business.

These new centres will allow researchers to test software, hardware and systems that would make the large-scale resources needed for cloud computing more reliable, manageable and secure.

Check out the IDA’s press release for more details on the Singapore cloud computing test bed.

According to Frank Gens – IDC’s VP of research – IT majors like IBM, Microsoft and HP are beginning to take Web 2.0 and on-demand technologies seriously. He expects these vendors to aggressively target the collaboration and business-oreitnted social networking space this year. Not surprising, given that more than 40% of enterprises are expected to have a social network deployed internally by year end.

IBM in January unveiled its revamped Lotus Web 2.0 platform – a suit of collaborative services that tap into the online content & social networking trend. Gens predicts that the company will soon crash the Software-as-a-Service party with Salesforce.com-style “cloud-based” solutions.

Microsoft has been aggressively promoting on-demand versions of its key enterprise solutions. Keen to have its cake and eat it too, Microsoft is adopting a “software-plus-service” strategy which adds collaborative online functionality to its traditional software products so as not to cannibalize its cash cow.

Of course, the Web 2.0 incumbents will not take this challenge lying down. Google and its ilk have been busy “corporatizing” their services and solutions.

Let the competition begin!