There were a few major updates this week in the cloud space, starting with VMware’s vSphere 5 licensing change.

When the fifth version of the currently dominant hypervisor was launched, the company sought to cash in the long expected software by implementing a licensing model based on processors, which ended up being costlier to customers than the old model. It seems to have realized what a previous Stratus study has suggested though, that the shift may cost it market share, which is why it announced a readjustment this week to memory-based licensing.

CA Technologies also had an update this week; the acquisition of WatchMouse B.V, a privetley held firm that develops SaaS cloud monitoring solutions.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but we do know that WatchMouse is the latest company that has been bought out as a part of a shopping spree exceeding the $1 billion mark.  The Netherlands-based company’s software will be integrated with CA’s existing application performance monitoring portfolio.

Chipmaker Intel is also investing in various cloud initiatives, including open research projects.  A couple of days ago Intel Labs said that it will build  two Intel Science and Technology Centers (ISTCs) at Carnegie Mellon University, as a part of a broader 5-year, $100 million program.

Apple is also expanding its cloud, and iCloud is one of its key focuses. The developer version of the storage and sharing silver similar to Box and SugarSync is available for MobileMe members as of this week. It features Mail, Contacts, Calendar and Find My iPhone  in a web-based interface, as well as three different  monthly subscription plans based  on how much memory you use. MobileMe will eventually be replaced with iCloud, and Apple intends to tap the biggest possible audience.  Such programs are of increasing interest to mobile developers, and we expect to see the junction of cloud and mobile getting wider in the next year.