The information technology sector has undergone numerous changes over the past 15 years. Computational systems that occupied large rooms within companies today have laptops and we can do almost anything with a good mobile phone. Even the fax machine, which emerged in the meantime, it is barely remembered by those attending the university. Everything moved very quickly and for the better.

Nowadays, everyone is more poetic, or perhaps smarter. So much so that the term “green IT” took time, though actually it suggests, to some extent, the benefits of responsible and rational use of natural resources. But the most curious, in recent times, is to see a CIO asking about the meaning of “cloud computing“. After all, if the term has been pronounced by the chief executives of Microsoft, Apple, IBM and Dell, something important lies ahead. Well, this is not always an absolute truth.

The term “cloud computing” has been defined in many ways, indeed even by its author – still unknown. The most plausible explanation is that, unlike that suggestive image of computers flying through the air, it comes to ways of running their base of services ‘in the air‘, using an area already well exploited by mobile operators. The idea is to give someone access to your data or your company’s data without necessarily being physically close. Total Remoting…

If virtualization, which proposes not only the proliferation of servers, but other IT resources such as databases, networks and desktops, has not been fully realized and exploited entirety by most of the companies. Cloud computing will certainly take time to fall into the full understanding and enjoyment.

Moreover, the most common methods used today to protect the virtual environment does not offer exactly the same security guarantees in physical environments. This has required constant improvement, as investment in Data Center to have an automated backup, ready to accelerate the processes of storage and retrieval of information with a low drive, or even virtualization backup.

So before you let your thoughts fly in ‘cloud‘, it is wise to think and invest in a technology infrastructure that is viable and ready to streamline your company’s business.

I’ve been following cloud computing for some time and every day I see that it is accelerating the ripening process and trying to understand its concept and technologies. Today it is clear that, in its various forms, cloud computing has the potential to significantly change the way IT operates, and manages and allocates its budget, and pays for its use by users. Of course it is a change that does not happen abruptly, but gradually.

Public clouds, for example, while still generating fears of security and privacy, which are in my opinion, largely unfounded, no doubt put pressure on the structure of IT. Why keep a set of dedicated servers often idle, and a staff dedicated to operations that do not add value to upgrades of operating system releases if I can transfer this activity to a trusted provider?

Moreover, when analyzing the portfolio of applications in a company, we found that most of them are not strategic or critical to profile data that is not sensitive in terms of security. And we also observed that most of these applications could operate in an environment of less than 95% availability. However, these applications can be moved to public clouds without any major scares. In fact, a public cloud can offer a level of security and availability much higher than that offered in many of today’s data centers to small and medium enterprises.

The topic cloud also begins to permeate discussions of strategic companies. In a meeting with business executives and the CIO of a large company it became clear that they were already considering that a significant portion of its future computing power would be served by public clouds, with a consequent impact on the IT budget,  which will shift the costs of “Capital Expenditure” to “operational Expenditure”.

On the other hand, the concern of disintermediation by IT users in many areas also appeared at the meeting, as they begin to look for other solutions, cloud, SaaS, without even interacting with the CIO. This is a challenge that IT has to face because uncontrolled spread of a cloud for the organization can create problems of integration, lack of adherence to security policies and increase the risk of audit to identify issues of governance.

The CIO has to play a proactive role in the process of adoption of cloud. Indeed, the question is not whether or not to adopt cloud, but what is the pace of adoption. The first step is to identify which applications exist, which may at first go to public cloud and / or private and create a catalog of services and applications that will be available in the clouds.

For example, the CIO can begin reviewing applications available today under two points of view, a level of criticality and the other how they are strategic to the business. Most applications will be below of the critical level and can be transferred to public clouds.

The pressure for cost reduction is constant and note that it is increasing every year. At the same time the complexity of the business environment demands faster responses and increasingly complex IT solutions. Seems an equation without answers, but if we analyze the potential of cloud, we can immediately identify:

1) Move non-critical (and not strategic) applications and not strategic to public clouds,
2) Implement private clouds for certain controlled environments such as development and testing, increasing the cycle
3) Create service catalogs that allow the user to operate in self-service, with minimal interference from IT.

These actions help to better understand what is cloud and its potential while allowing the organization to adjust and refine their governance processes, already contemplating cloud computing. It also helps to more accurately implement charge back processes that are indispensable when it comes to cloud computing.

Services to create a catalog that includes internal and external applications (SaaS), similar to an Apple AppStore is an innovative and highly efficient way of providing services to users. The IT department can and should define the rules of the game: Which applications can enter the catalog? The IT department should establish an approval process that can evaluate cloud providers and SaaS applications available. Thus, IT does not become a bottleneck and at the same time clearly shows that it is actively driving the process of “cloudification” in company.

The important thing is that, IT understands that its role does not disappear with the cloud computing model. It remains responsible for providing the best services in the lowest possible cost.

Cloud changes the context: IT is no longer the only provider of the service and should leave this monopoly role and assume a new role. So sometimes the best solution is built, developed and operated by IT and other best alternative is to operate in a public cloud. IT should be at the center of these decisions and for that, the mindset must be changed.

Creating backups of important files is something we should all do with some regularity, but usually do not give as much attention as we should. It is important then we should know whether we should use local storage or storage in the cloud, or a combination of both.

For some people, the local storage may be the most convenient and / or accessible way to backup your files. By having the files stored on digital media, we have them in our control and we also can provide a sense of security and peace of mind. But storing the files locally can also have disadvantages if something happens to the storage devices. So how do we know if the benefits outweigh the disadvantages? Here are some possible pros and cons that may affect the decision to use local storage for backing up your files:

Local Storage Place

PROS:

• We have control of our data
• Our files are portable and can carry them with us when necessary,
• If we use external hard drives or Pens , we can access them without connection to the Internet,
• We can easily add more storage if needed (additional drives, etc)

CONS:

• It is necessary to make room for storing the digital media for backup,
• Possible hardware failure in access to files
• Constraints that we need and forget to take them with us
• Too much volume to bring us
• Risk of theft and / or loss of any content due to circumstances such as fire.

If you are someone who is always moving and needs to travel as much as possible, storage in the cloud can be the perfect way to be able to backup and access your files. Maybe your laptop has a hard drive failure or even be stolen if you use the backup in the cloud, it will always have a copy of your files available. For example a company that wants to make sure that your data is safely out of the usual place, in the event of a disaster or system failure. As with the local store, here are some possible pros and cons that may influence the choice of cloud storage for backup files:

Storage On Cloud Computing Solutions

PROS:

• No need to carry the Pens  or bulky external drives
• All files are accessible wherever you have an internet connection
• No need to deal with the local storage media (or the “maintenance”)
• The files are safe even if the home is burglarized or other unfortunate disasters occur.

CONS:

• The data is not 100% under our control
• Possible hardware failure or loss of files by the storage vendor in the cloud.
• We do not have access to our files unless we have an Internet connection
• The provider of cloud storage may eventually stop providing the service due to financial difficulties or other unforeseen circumstances
• The possibility that the data is being stolen by hackers due to a security breach by the storage vendor in the cloud

We can also choose to try to cover all possibilities, using local storage in the cloud to make backups of our files. If something goes wrong with the one, we always have the other to support us. We need access to files within or outside the home? As long as we have access to information in the local store or an Internet connection, we are always assured.

Maybe, we are already prepared to choose a backup solution, but we are not sure which option we shall go for. Here is your chance to ask yourself. You have already implemented a great backup solution?

Cloud… The name recalls the images of a shadowy fog that is always out of reach. The reality of cloud computing can only seem mysterious. Before entering into this nebulous border in IT, it is important to separate the hype from reality.

In assessing these assumptions related to the cloud, researchers focused specifically on public clouds and made a simple question: Fact or Fiction?

Fiction – But Maybe Not For Long

While migration to the cloud is not yet universal, there is no doubt that it is a wonderful trend that will only grow with increase of its adoption and importance. According to a 2011 survey of Advanced Micro Devices, approximately 37% of companies are already using cloud. And 24% of respondents to the survey in 2011, among data center managers, retailers and engineers, said they have plans to follow or implement a cloud computing in the next 18 months. According to a recent IDC report, worldwide revenue from IT services in public clouds exceeded $ 21.5 billion in 2010 and projected to reach $ 72.9 billion in 2015.

Regardless of which one is more accurate, it is clear that the cloud market is growing – and is much higher than suggested the news a year ago.

Why The Problems And Delays?

Although providers have improved data security and privacy considerably since the beginning, persistent concerns over access to proprietary data, location and transfer continue to limit distributed adoption. The flexibility of the system in general is another concern with public clouds. Additionally, blackouts in various cloud providers are probably reason enough to discourage some businesses that depend on the availability of fixed network for survival.

Switching To Cloud Means That You No Longer Have To Worry About Downtime..

Fiction  

If your company switches to an external cloud provider, the risk of a blackout is simply transferred to their data center provider. The only change is the control. In its own data center, you control the infrastructure and availability of your network and data. This control, of course, brings many problems of ownership and responsibility with it that may have been a factor in the shift to cloud first. The control means responsibility, and the burden of responsibility for ensuring network availability is something that some IT managers prefer not to be responsible.

If your organization chooses private cloud, you can gain a measure of fault protection for a single server, but the damage caused by a total blackout in the data center continues to be destructive. To maintain a robust infrastructure, power and cooling, it is critical to support a private cloud infrastructure. The management and monitoring of data center becomes even more critical.

Finally, it is important to remember that simply switching to cloud does not eliminate the concern about downtime or damage that may cause a blackout to your business. Customers remember the  network failure – not the fact that the failure was the fault of your cloud provider.

Cloud Computing Solutions Always Reduces Costs And Workload

Fiction

This is a common argument for the adoption of cloud, but depending on the applications you plan to support with the cloud, this may or may not be true. At least in the short term, it is likely that a transition to cloud is very laborious.

Businesses that switch to this type of work do so to meet a specific need and leverage resources previously unavailable (especially dedicated servers) that, through the cloud, are available on demand.

But cloud services adapted to the specific needs of your business require a transfer of culture that can be difficult to manage. Even when the setting is appropriate, classifying what can and can not be changed for cloud is a process that takes time. The increased operational efficiency can be light at the end of the tunnel, but it is a short tunnel.

In terms of costs, cloud customers save money only when performing on specific cloud platforms. On the other hand, the report says that maintaining a private data center continues to have the best cost benefit.

Storing files in the cloud is already a common practice among web users. Google, for example, allows you to save documents, pictures and other data from anywhere with an internet connection. So, start editing a Word document at home and bring it to work has become more simple: just send to a server and access it without having to walk in the company with pen drives from one side to the other.

In January, when the Megaupload was closed by U.S. authorities, many users felt hurt. Not because of the fact that copyrighted files were taken from the network, but because the service was also used to store information of legal users, much like the Google. Of a sudden, millions of documents and photos were lost when access to Megaupload was interrupted, and thus a cloud storage option was lost.

This event raised a question: how safe are the files that are stored in the cloud? Is there any guarantee that they will not be lost or if the cloud service is taken offline, as users can do to recover the holding?

For more sites and servers that can be closed, the cloud is hardly impaired. The cloud computing, as the internet, there is a system dependent on a single connection. The scenario that every cloud will disappear is practically impossible.

A single server can fail, but, according to the experts, the great cloud computing companies have plans for possible disasters. Large corporations have backup plans and disaster recovery plans in case of floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters. Thus, if more than one server is damaged, the files are stored on some other server as well, thus preventing users from losing their data.

Another concern is regarding the safety of the cloud. Not everyone feels confident when leaving important files with personal information stored in a place that they do not know exactly where it is, despite knowing how to access them easily. The biggest risk is not confidential data, but the possibility of losing data. If you rely on a single provider, you need evidence that they are keeping your data offline.

My recommendation is to make a second copy of your files elsewhere. It’s a good idea to save the data on your own computer, for example, to avoid losing important data.

The reign of the personal computer as the main element of access to technology seems to be moving more quickly to its end. According to the research, the phenomenon of consumerization, the virtualization and the emergence of mobile devices should condemn the traditional PC environments and materialize the platform through smartphones and in particular the personal cloud.

The personal cloud should support the emergence of a new level of flexibility associated with devices used for daily activities, taking advantage of the strengths of each terminal. Ultimately it will allow new levels of user satisfaction and productivity in the workplace. Major trends in computing have put the PC into focus and it now takes a broader perspective that includes smartphones, tablets and other consumer devices.

The new personal services of cloud computing solutions will become the link between the devices used by consumers in different moments of their lives. But this is not a simple process, for various reasons, the survey indicates. Many trends have created a new paradigm that companies must adapt and that will also greatly benefit consumers. Among the causes, the first and most obvious, is the computerization. Users today know better technology than previous generations.

On the other hand, modern consumers also have different expectations, driven largely by the media and the Internet, social networks and new mobile devices. Moreover, from the democratization of technology, users of all types can now have sophisticated technologies within reach. The research indicates that some technologies such as virtualization improved flexibility and made more options available to companies in the adoption of mobile environments to internal customers.

Virtualization also provides a way to move legacy applications from the PC to a new emerging world. A third trend that favors the development of personal clouds in relation to the traditional PC is called “app-fixing.” In it, users observe carefully how applications are designed, provided and consumed or used. And this will inevitably have a dramatic impact on all other aspects of the market. These changes will change the way applications are designed and implemented in business environments.

Self service and mobility services in cloud computing open a new world of opportunities. Each user can now have an expandable and almost infinite number of resources available. Impacts on infrastructure are impressive. But when applied to people, it brings some specific advantages even more surprising. Digital activities of IT users are more self-directed than ever.

Users seeking to take their own decisions about the applications, services and content, based on an online offering is almost unlimited. This promotes a culture of self-service that users expect to have in all aspects of their digital experience, including the business environment. Finally, the mobility is the real catalyst for this new paradigm.

Today, mobile devices combined with cloud computing solutions can perform most of the computing tasks. At the same time, they provide a degree of comfort and flexibility that is only possible with mobile terminals. The appearance of more interfaces make these devices more practical. Thus, according to researcher, users can take advantage of resources for detecting and reading touching, gestures, contextual knowledge and speech recognition.

For the Cloud Security Alliance, a nonprofit organization that advises on best practices for providing security services in the cloud, cloud computing is not necessarily more or less secure than the current IT environment.

Like any new technology, it creates risks and opportunities. In some cases, you may need to restructure legacy applications and infrastructure to match or exceed modern safety requirements.

Recent research performed with 50 Chief Information Officers (CIOs) found that 70% of these executives were thinking that, security is the biggest inhibitor to the adoption of cloud architectures. Other barriers mentioned were lack of information about the concept (58%) and corporate culture of IT reported by 44% of respondents.

In cloud, the concern must be the same as used at home. Points to note include control, visibility, ensuring adequate access, protect data, applications and infrastructure. The organization fails to adopt the model for fear. But typically, these companies have less protection practices compared with the cloud providers.

The executive points out that there is the idea that the cloud hosting business is out of control and what is controlled is safer. But this is not true. The same care must be applied in the company transferred to the third, and require to define SLAs, which vary according to the strategy.

Planning is a key, but the truth is that many do not know where to start.

IT professionals need to intensify the battle against internal threats and leverage the technologies of identity management and access to that security is seen as the enabler of the adoption of cloud computing.

Although the company does not rely on a specific policy for the cloud, new implementations are recommended to join the sport.

Avoid Surprises When Hiring Public Cloud Computing Solutions

Survey done in December 2011 indicates that 80% of those CIOs plan to adopt some kind of cloud, with 45% to 15% private and public. Even if the public is not yet the focus of investment, those who opt for this mode should be aware when hiring and managing third-party services. To help companies in this task, the Security Guide for Critical Areas Focused on Cloud Computing and has got some recommendations.

The document was prepared by Cloud Security Alliance to advise on the best practices of service delivery in the area of security in the cloud.

1-You need to examine and evaluate the supply chain from the supplier (relationships among service providers etc). This also means checking the management of outsourced services by the provider.

2-Evaluation of outsourced service providers should concentrate on disaster recovery policy and business continuity, and processes. It should also include a review of the assessments for the supplier to fulfill requirements of policies and procedures, and evaluation of the metrics used by the supplier to provide information about the performance and effectiveness of controls.

3-The plan of disaster recovery and business continuity should include scenarios of loss of services provided by the supplier and the loss by the provider of outsourced services and capabilities dependent on others.

4-The regulation of information security governance, risk management and the structures and processes of the supplier should be widely evaluated.

5-You must request documentation about the facilities and services of the supplier that are assessed for risks and controls in audited for vulnerabilities. Also, look for a definition of the request that the vendor considers to be the success factors of information security and critical services, key performance indicators, and how these points are measured.

Japan is the country that is better prepared in terms of technological infrastructure and regulations to support the growth of cloud computing. The finding comes from a global study by the Business Software Alliance (BSA) with 24 nations.

According to the BSA, the survey aimed to assess the economic potential of the cloud in these markets and suggest that what local governments need to do. According to the association, it is necessary to improve policies and regulations to meet the cloud computing model to data processing that crosses borders.

The countries were scored, taking into account their laws and regulations for provision of cloud watching seven areas: data privacy, cyber security, cyber crime control, preservation of intellectual property, technology interoperability and legal harmonization, free trade, and infrastructure IT.

The top ten that have more robust policies for business in the cloud are Japan, Australia, United States, France, Italy, UK, Korea, Spain, and Singapore.

The true benefits of cloud computing come with scale and service providers should have the ability to deliver service anywhere in the world.

However, this model requires laws and regulations to allow the flow of data easily across borders. Each country has its rules for trade in digital services, but governments need to harmonize them to follow this trend.

Difference Between Nations

The study found that the environment for cloud shows different characteristics among advanced economies and developing countries. In Japan, the United States and United Kingdom, for example, there are solid legal foundations and regulations to support the growth of cloud computing. In emerging countries like China, India and Brazil, there is still much to be done to integrate with the global cloud.

Japan is ranked first because of its comprehensive privacy protections that do not inhibit digital commerce. It also offers a range of criminal protection and robust IT infrastructure. The Asian country is still a leader in developing international standards of technology.

One surprising finding of the study is that some of the countries that are doing well also have laws and regulations that conflict with other nations. One example is the regulation of the European Union Data Protection that can generate the economic impact for large-scale business in the cloud.

To have a global market for cloud, laws of all countries don’t need to be identical, but they must be compatible. Privacy and security rules are especially important. They should promote efficient data management while encouraging international trade.

To assist countries, the BSA proposes seven policies that governments should strengthen to expand economic opportunities in the cloud computing solutions:

1 – Protecting the privacy of users by allowing the free flow of information and commerce.
2 – Promote advanced cybersecurity practices without requiring the use of specific technologies.
3 – Fighting cybercrime with clear measures and actions against the perpetrators.
4 – Provide protection strengthened against the misappropriation and breach of cloud technologies.
5 – Encourage openness and interoperability between cloud providers.
6 – To promote free trade, reducing barriers and eliminate preferences for certain products or companies.
7 – Provide incentives for private sector to invest in broadband infrastructure and promote digital inclusion.

Here are the rankings of 24 countries surveyed and their score:

01 – Japan – 83.3
02 – Australia – 79 2
03 – Germany – 79.0
04 – United States – 78.6
05 – France – 78.4
06 – Italy – 76.6
07 – United Kingdom – 76.6
08 – Korea – 76.0
09 – Spain – 73.9
10 – Singapore – 72.2
11 – Poland – 70.7
12 – Canada – 70.4
13 – Malaysia – 59.2
14 – Mexico – 56.4
15 – Argentina – 55.0
16 – Russia-52.3
17 – Turkey – 52.1
18 – South Africa – 50.4
19 – India – 50.0
20 – Indonesia – 49.7
21 – China – 47.5
22 – Thailand – 42.6
23 – Vietnam – 39.5
24 – Brazil-  35.1

Studies now indicate that about 75% of banking organizations will use Enterprise Cloud Computing, or hybrid solutions for cloud computing.

The technology resource with elements of applications, processors, storage capacity and data center in a cloud on the Internet, has also became a key theme and will be much discussed in the financial and insurance sectors. In India, data center providers are expanding their investments in infrastructure to meet the new wave, while IT executives, who confirmed to be not going back, argue that the application that is most appropriate and safe at this moment is a public cloud, private cloud or hybrid cloud.

The year 2012 will undoubtedly be the year where Cloud Computing will take the first steps to the movement that actually will become a reality in organizations. Outside India, the emerging trend, driven mainly by the advantage of cost savings, according to experts, it is the logical evolution in the banking sector. Studies now indicate that about 75% of banking organizations will use enterprise cloud computing, or hybrid cloud computing solutions, which implies the existence of a private cloud and through other means which are more open, in which any employee could have access.

The main issue, even debated in international forums is, “Is the Cloud Computing a valuable hedge for banks?” And the answer is “Yes“. In ’70s and ’80s, financial institutions already had a central computer, such as a mainframe terminal, whose main advantage was the saving of time, it was possible to keep all data centralized. The big difference is that, the cloud computing today relies on the fact that the information ends up being “hung” in the cloud.

The contribution that cloud computing can bring to the banking sector is very high. And beneficial as well. The main one is the flexibility that this technology can provide to the banks. In addition to allowing, among other benefits, “pay per use“, that is, offer a way to measure and manage the service network of computers in a more efficient and flexible way, the model will allow the bank to establish its variable costs and adjust their own real needs within their gains, the number of clients, etc..

Cloud Computing provides a model in which the payment is linked to the service that is used, it helps to increase or decrease capacity utilization. This new structure makes the planning of the different departments in a condition that is more flexible and agile, this is another added advantage.

For now, this trend began to take its first steps, especially because today, even if they have noticed the need for migration to this type of technology, there remain some issues to resolve before putting the whole process into practice. The need for legislation and regulation to adjust and establish how to act in case of catastrophe or disaster, which protocol is most appropriate at certain times or will be subject to audits. It is difficult to ensure that the banking sector will use a cloud computing which is open and transparent.

Hence, the service providers are investing all their efforts and financial resources to provide a flexible means of the use of internal and external solutions.

The more the confidence, the greater the opportunity to use private means that are based on two core values: integrity and availability of information privacy, two prerequisites for the confidentiality of user data is not lost, regardless of the technology.

The words you use when talking about cloud computing are extremely fundamental to understand the concept.

It is not just a semantic exercise, the inaccuracy may expose managers to misunderstandings (or worse) in the hands of his superiors and failures generated by unrealistic expectations.

Key Findings

• The concept of cloud computing is not an abstract concept that can be constructed, acquired or sold.
• Use of cloud computing terminology inaccurately is the leading cause of confusion surrounding the topic.
• Confusion allows some retailers to label old products products as cloud products, regardless of whether or not to deliver the advantages of cloud computing.

Recommendations

• Avoid using the word cloud as a motto for all things associated with cloud computing.
• Challenge the allegations of cloud computing from its resellers to differentiate the marketing reality.
• Make the IT sector focus on their efforts on delivery or acquisition of cloud services, rather than deliver or acquire technologies in the cloud.

Cloud computing is a phenomenon that seems confusing and becomes even more confusing with each passing day. One reason for this is that there are so many areas affected by cloud computing. It is difficult to determine exactly what will impact on the concept. The fact is that, different terms are often misunderstood and aspects are used to describe the phenomenon, and it is not hard to see why confusion reigns. This research is about the terminological confusion generated by the natural complexity of the concept of cloud computing and the tendency for people to re-interpret (or misinterpret) the things that are better suited to their needs, world vision or plans for their products.

In an effort to clarify this confusion and provide a common language to talk about the phenomenon, we present a rule broad and some key terms to help you to deal with this.

Rule Terminology for Cloud Computing

Avoid talking about “clouds”? Rather, always speak about the specific aspect of cloud computing with which it works. Always add a more specific term for the word “cloud” for example, cloud computing, cloud services, cloud platform, cloud infrastructure, cloud application, process or company to cloud.

Much confusion comes from the fact that so many people use the term cloud or “clouds” to refer to many things (which is driven largely by retailers). They use it to refer to all and all, and so the term is replaced by little or without meaning. The confusion lies in the fact that there is no issue that affects every aspect of cloud computing in the same way.

“The cloud” or “A cloud” is an abstract concept that cannot be touched, seen, bought or sold. However, there are different aspects of cloud computing that are quite tangible, such as services, infrastructure and platforms. It is dangerous to remain vague about the terms because the thought becomes endemic and difficult to change when words are confusing. People who say “cloud services” are often referring only to the platform or the cloud infrastructure, and not necessarily other services. Many dealers refer to “our cloud services” or the “cloud services provided by us” as a way to make users think about their platforms and infrastructure, and not about the delivery of cloud services. It is to maintain their differentiation by encouraging all people to focus their attention on the implementation. Allowing this to happen, it will result in the dependence of the specific features of the implementation of a single dealer, instead of the service resources that are needed to service consumers.

Being Specific Is Very Helpful

Being more specific helps to make it very clear and objective to which you are referring. And make no mistake, though the “cloud infrastructure” is delivered as a “cloud service”, delivering the infrastructure is very different from delivering the service. The issues that have to be deal with with are different. For example, an integrator, to build a set of private cloud services can say, “We are building a private cloud”. It becomes confusing when you realize that private cloud services can be delivered by a public cloud infrastructure. But to say “a private cloud” or “a public cloud” obscures the reality that some parts of the implementation, or even some of the services used to deliver the fundamental solution, may not be “private” or “public” respectively. The terms “private” or “public” are not terms that can be applied intelligently to every initiative in a particular cloud, for example, considering that few initiatives “private” end to end will be private. So yes, the underlying mechanism of delivery is maintained by the provider.

Clarifying The “Cloud” Terminology

Considering our advice, always use language qualified with the word “cloud,” we also present some simple descriptions of terms that are useful to achieve this goal:

The Cloud: A euphemism for an abstraction. This is a purely abstract concept, originated from representations of presentations on the Internet and networks for many years. Nobody can buy or sell a cloud service. The cloud service comes to life when one or more cloud services are delivered to one or more clients. For this reason, there is only a public cloud, because the only way to distinguish between them would be considered one of the other terms as the demarcation line. There may be many private cloud services, and certainly there are numerous infrastructure and cloud platforms, but only a public cloud.

A Cloud: Used only in the private sense to describe the whole set of cloud services delivered in private. We should avoid using this term because it is too vague to add value and can cause significant confusion. For example, a private cloud can be delivered by using a public cloud infrastructure and still continue to be private. However, there are risks associated with it that should not be obscured by the use of the generic term “service cloud” to describe private services. When private services are delivered through a public infrastructure, there may be an impact on the service level agreement (SLA). The SLA needs to be ensured by the provider of services and by the provider of private and public cloud infrastructure. For example, if a bank provides services only to private agents, but the servers that host these services are delivered from the cloud infrastructure of ESDS, which owns the SLA, it is best to be specific.

Cloud Services: The features enabled by IT and delivered to a group of consumers from a range of providers. They must have a well defined interface and can be provided programmatically.

Cloud Platforms: Groups of cloud services. This provides access to features enabled (eg, storage, processing, data formats and application programming interfaces) and existing in multiple levels.

Cloud Infrastructure: Technically speaking, it is a relative term like “cloud platform”, which refers to the enabling of technologies that are unexposed. It is often used to refer to the sum total of infrastructure services for cloud applications and services infrastructure system. It is also sometimes used to refer to resources underlying hardware and OS level.

The Cloud Application: An application designed specifically to take advantage of the characteristics of cloud services, such as scalability, flexibility, multi-location and shared resources.

An Application In The Clouds: An application that runs on a cloud infrastructure service that is not designed to take advantage of the characteristics or attributes style in the cloud. It is synonymous with “cloud-hosted” or “hosted on a cloud infrastructure”. However, one of these applications could be used to deliver a service cloud, such as billing.

Conclusion: Talking about cloud services is an exercise that is much more useful than simply talk about “clouds”. Be specific with the language of cloud computing that will create less confusion and more concrete actions.

Companies that seek to exploit this phenomenon should devote the highest priority to the correct use of terminology of cloud computing especially in this early stage. Companies that deliver cloud services will benefit from the specificity of their infrastructure services, application services or services of business processes. The benefit will have happier customers who will begin to trust what they hear, instead of fearing its consequences.