Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility (like the electricity grid) over a network (typically the Internet)

Service Models:

SaaS: Software as a Service

SaaS Examples: Google Gmail, Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Citrix GoToMeeting, Cisco WebEx
Common SaaS Use-Case: Replacing traditional on-device software
Technology Analyst Examples: Bill Pray (Gartner), Amy DeMartine (Forrester)

PaaS: Platform as a Service

Enterprise PaaS Examples: Apprenda
Common PaaS Use-Case: Increase developer productivity and utilization rates and decrease an application’s time-to-market
Technology Analyst Examples: Eric Knipp (Gartner), Yefim Natis (Gartner), Stefan Ried (Forrester), John Rymer (Forrester)

IaaS: Infrastructure as a Service

IaaS Examples: Amazon Web Service (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Compute Engine (GCE)
Common IaaS Use-Case: extending current data center infrastructure for temporary workloads (e.g. increased Christmas holiday site traffic)
Technology Analyst Examples: Kyle Hilgendorf (Gartner), Drue Reeves (Gartner), Lydia Leong (Gartner), Doug Toombs (Gartner), Gregor Petri (Gartner EU), Tiny Haynes (Gartner EU), Jeffery Hammond (Forrester), James Staten (Forrester)