A de facto standard is still a standard. Windows was the de facto standard in desktop OS in the 90s and there was plenty of room for technical improvements. But

A de facto standard is still a standard. Windows was the de facto standard in desktop OS in the 90s and there was plenty of room for technical improvements. But because it became standard and the network effects kicked in, there was little incentive and a lot of cost for ISVs, system integrators, etc. to support alternative platforms. The problem for smaller hosts is not that they don't have a ready made cloud solution, it is that they are never, ever, going to be able to match Amazon in terms of scale or efficiency. ISVs are going to support the platform that allows them to reach more users, users are going to choose the platform that has the apps/functionality they want. People are going to need customized cloud solutions, but my take is that they will be provided by third parties on top of Amazon, not as an alternative to it.