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TopCloud Computing In The Business World
There are many definitions in the literature regarding cloud computing, focusing on this new technology from the point of view of different disciplines, including information systems, business and engineering and considering both the software and the hardware aspects of the technology. While there are numerous definitions regarding cloud computing, most of them include key characteristics: provision of online resources on demand, rapid elasticity, resource pooling, self-service and management free (Petrescu, 2012; Stieninger & Nedbal, 2014; Truong, 2010). There are three main types of services that are delivered through the cloud: infrastructure as a service – IaaS (computers, servers and storage), platform as a service – PaaS (operating systems) and software as a service – SaaS (applications delivered online) (Petrescu, 2012; Sultan, 2010; Truong, 2010; Weinhardt et al., 2009).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Hardware: The physical machinery, equipment and devices that make up a computer system.
Data Security: Protecting data from destructive and intruding forces and from the unwanted actions of unauthorized users.
Cloud Computing: An externalized form of IT that assumes computing using software and hardware virtual resources in a network, easily accessible worldwide through the Internet.
Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce): Also known as online retailing , is the buying and selling of goods and services through the Internet.
Supply Chain: The network created from different companies producing, handling and distributing a specific product.
Software: The programs and instructions used to run the computer system.
Social media: Broad range of online platforms, such as social networking sites, brand-sponsored virtual worlds, open virtual worlds, video and photo communities, and social news.