11 Main Categories Of Cloud Computing

STORAGE-AS-A-SERVICE (‘disk space on demand’)

Usage of storage which is physically at a remote site which acts as a local storage resource. The most primitive component of cloud computing, used by most of the other components

DATABASE-AS-A-SERVICE

Usage of the services of a remotely hosted database, sharing with other users, having it function as if the database were local. This database technology would other wise cost thousands of dollars in hardware and software licenses.

INFORMATION-AS-A-SERVICE

Consumption of any type of information remotely hosted through a well-defined interface. An example is stock-price information

PROCESS-AS-A-SERVICE

A remote resource that binds many resources together, like services and data (whether hosted in the same cloud computing resource or remotely available) to create business processes. It is a meta-application spanning systems, leveraging key services and information that are combined into a sequence to form a process.

APPLICATION (SOFTWARE)-AS-A-SERVICE

Applications delivered over the Web to a user, who typically access the application through a web browser. A common example is the Google Docs, Calendar and Gmail available online.

PLATFORM-AS-A-SERVICE

Complete platform – includes application, interface and database development, storage and testing – delivered through a remotely hosted platform to subscribers.

INTEGRATION-AS-A-SERVICE

Delivery of a complete ‘integration stack’ from the cloud, including interfacing with applications, flow control and integration design. It includes most of features and functions found in traditional EAI technology, but delivered as a service.

SECURITY-AS-A-SERVICE

Delivery of core security services remotely over Internet.  Getting increasingly sophisticated including identity management.

MANAGEMENT/GOVERNANCE-AS-A-SERVICE

On-demand service that provides the ability to manage one or more cloud services. Typically simple things like virtualisation and uptime management.

TESTING-AS-A-SERVICE

Testing of local or cloud-delivered systems using testing software and services which are remotely hosted. It should be noted that while a cloud service requires testing unto itself, T-a-a-S systems can test other cloud applications, Web Sites and internal Enterprise systems, and do NOT require a hardware or software footprint within the Enterprise.