Clarifying the concept of cloud computing and interpreting cloud computing

If you ask 6 people about how to define cloud computing, you may get at least a dozen numbers of answers. And if you ask them what the relationship between software, SaaS, and cloud computing is, you may get a much more varied answer.

Currently, companies that use software as a service have access to applications based on an ordered price model, which is also commonly known as on-demand software. This application is typically deployed outside the company (contrary to the software installed in-house). The result is a reduction in the cost of software and hardware, a lower initial cost, or a significant reduction in the attendant cost of maintenance. While the classic case of software as a service comes from the CRM and sales automation software provided by Salesforce.com, many other vendors have already adopted this approach.

Software as a service is not a new concept, and in the 90 's, many application service providers (ASP) have sprung up, they provide the application of Internet client Access, and these ASP in the remote their own data center placed software.

Companies can use cloud technology to remotely access hardware computing resources, including computer power, storage, and related virtualization and the functionality provided. Although many users and vendors think this is the nature of cloud computing, but it is only part of cloud computing, I would like to see this part as hardware as a service (HaaS), which I think is more accurate than a platform, a service (PaaS), Because some vendors use PAAs to include their remote on-demand software.

The dominant makers in the market are Amazon and Google. Although the cloud is almost synonymous with the services provided by the Internet, it can go back at least until the early 70, when computer resources are available and can be obtained from a time-sharing provider via a dial-up phone line. In addition to these hardware resources, many time-share companies offer application software services to their users.

Cloud computing broadly includes hardware and software two components

The cloud technology used for services such as remote conferencing and other collaborative work looks like a different category, but these services are combined with hardware and software services. Software and hardware can be used as a cloud service on an as-needed basis.

Many companies use hardware as a service to expand their computing resources, especially for peak computer requirements or special one-off projects; Most companies that use software as a service application put their applications outside. From the perspective of the consumer company, the software exists in the cloud, although the site is likely to be the manufacturer's own data center or Third-party site, and the software-service vendor uses the site, which looks as if it has a hardware-or-service vendor resource. I believe this is very helpful for users to describe their cloud computing needs, and vendors can better popularize their cloud computing features by turning these resources into software, services, hardware, services, or both.

Cloud computing attracts companies of all sizes, and it allows small and midsize companies to use the resources they cannot afford and maintain, relying solely on themselves. Even large companies with large data centers regard cloud computing as a way to expand their existing resources to meet new user needs, which are operable or can be analyzed. Many entrepreneurs see their projects postponed or unable to start, simply because it requires other hardware or software resources and the attendant management work that is not immediately available. The provision of these resources, even in a very good economic environment, requires the consent of multiple participants, and based on on-demand cloud technology allows them to easily access these resources.

Also, on-demand cloud services are faster to implement than those that acquire hardware and software and then install them. From the user's point of view, cloud technology is actually a kind of media, so that they can use the original company could not be used, at least in a related framework to use.

Cloud computing is currently expanding very quickly, allowing more companies to use cloud services to expand the functionality within their companies, and in some cases replacing resources within the company. Many business intelligence (BI) vendors are aware of this and are beginning to extend their tentacles to the cloud. This includes SAP BusinessObjects, the company's first release in 2007 of crystalreports.com--on-demand crystal reporting on cloud technology, as well as the business intelligence OnDemand, a data Warehouse provider, You can analyze data from salesforce.com by BusinessObjects Web Intelligence.

Database manufacturer Kognitio provides a cloud-based data warehouse, its brand name is "Data Warehouse as a service", and the pioneer of Data Warehouse application Netezza also recently worked with AppNexus to launch a cloud-based data warehousing service, which is a hardware-service cloud computing vendor. In addition, IBM and Microsoft have taken a lot of steps in cloud computing.

Cloud computing, whether it's software, service, hardware, service, or both, is no doubt a technology that is not just a fad. User companies and vendors must recognize this: it is already a growing piece of the company's future overall computing architecture.