In a recent meeting I attended with a diverse group of Silicon Valley professionals, the simple definition of “what is cloud computing” came to the forefront of one of the projects the group is taking on.
So, how do you define cloud computing? I went to Wikipedia to see if someone else had already answered this question. To my surprise some of the parts of cloud computing were blank, no definition. Still, others I looked at were incomplete or were clearly the out of date with new developments that are now coming to the forefront.
Here is what I found on Wikipedia:
• Cloud Computing: Internet- ("cloud-") based development and use of computer technology
• Platform as a Service: The delivery of a computing platform and solution stack as a service.
• Software as a Service: is a model of software deployment whereby a provider licenses an application to customers for use as a service on demand
• Desktop as a Service: No clearly defined Wiki, yet
• Infrastructure as a Service: The delivery of computer infrastructure (typically a platform virtualization environment) as a service.
Trying to define cloud computing is like trying to catch smoke. Cloud computing is a term that can encompass one of the above or all of the above or a combination of the above. When you throw public and private clouds in the mix it can get even more confusing, there’s that smoke again.
Cloud Computing is going to be what you as the consumer want and need it to be. You and your organization will go through the process of looking at your processes, business model and any regulations that pertain to your business and devise a cloud solution that fits your needs and your definition of what cloud computing is to you.
There is no need to be confused about cloud computing the easiest thing to remember is that you don’t own it, it’s not part of your data center and you don’t and can’t control it. Welcome to cloud computing, the smoke everyone is trying to catch.
