An official with Microsoft's Windows Azure is speaking out against what he describes as a secret effort to create a "Cloud Manifesto" -- laying out principles for making the major cloud-computing services work smoothly together.

"Very recently we were privately shown a copy of the document, warned that it was a secret, and told that it must be signed 'as is,' without modifications or additional input," writes Microsoft's Steven Martin in a blog post tonight. "It appears to us that one company, or just a few companies, would prefer to control the evolution of cloud computing, as opposed to reaching a consensus across key stakeholders (including cloud users) through an 'open' process." 

Martin adds, "An open Manifesto emerging from a closed process is at least mildly ironic."

He doesn't name the company or companies in question. Windows Azure is expected to compete most directly with Amazon.com and Google in cloud computing. However, there are many people and organizations involved in the emerging cloud-computing industry, in which companies sell access to computing and storage in massive data centers.

Martin's post suggests that the Cloud Manifesto could set the stage for toward more formal industry standards for interoperability. In that way, Microsoft crying foul over the issue may itself seem ironic to people who have followed the company's history. Microsoft has a reputation for attempting to work standardization processes to its own competitive advantage.

In this case, Martin says the company wants an "open, collaborative discussion with customers, analysts and other vendors regarding the direction and principles of cloud computing." His post cites plans for an "Open Cloud Manifesto" -- the creation of which will apparently incorporate the principles of openness that Microsoft wants to see.