For many years, the predominant model for running software applications has been to run them locally, as countless users of Microsoft Office can attest. But many players have been steadily chipping away at that model.

From Google Docs to many other applications, the cloud is emerging as the new platform to run applications on. In a new interview with Forbes, Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst points to this as a paradigm shift, and one that could permanently shift the stranglehold that players like MIcrosoft and VMware have had on the application sofware market.

Keep in mind, Red Hat has already pursued changing the model for application delivery through its software collections, which bundle many applications that can steer enterprises away from traditional Microsoft applications.