An experienced cloud user would have already used services such as Dropbox, Google Drive etc. Cloud services are those which can be used from any location as long as you have internet access and can remember the credentials necessary to log in to your own personal account whereby you can access all your information stored on your account. It is interesting to note, that no matter where you are, or which device you are using to access your account on such services, your experience will always be the same.
These services are able to give you the benefit of accessing your account from anywhere in the world because your account is not stored in any installed software on your computer but is available in the “cloud” that is provided by each service provider.
There are three general models for cloud:
- IaaS – Infrastructure as a Service – Enables developers and IT teams to deliver business solutions by delivering storage and computing power (For example, Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services).
- PaaS – Platform as a Service – With the help of PaaS developers can build applications on top of existing infrastructure. Software that is customized for a particular industry or vertical can be included in this bracket, and then offered as a SaaS service for other companies.
- SaaS – Software as a Service – This refers to software that does not require companies to install, update, buy hardware for or support it because service providers manage and maintain the software. Users simply consume the services they need and then pay for them.