True cloud model vs. 'cloudwashing' by vendors

The definition of software-as-a-service predates the rise of cloud computing, and it relates to the delivery of software from a centralized data center and its access by end-users, through some sort of "thin" client.It's easy to see how, in a cloud world, the thin client is the web browser, and since software is web-based, it is necessarily distributed from a server to somewhere else.I believe, but, that the similarities between the cloud-based software model and this basic definition of software-as-a-service have led to a generalized misconception that every piece of web-based software is a service, and that has allowed vendors everywhere to "cloudwash" their offerings.

Mixing terminologyCloud computing is composed, in a very broad sense, of three service layers that can be exploited by end users to achieve their computing needs.The first layer is infrastructure-as-a-service, or IaaS. From the standpoint of the user, this is the level with the least amount of abstraction. IaaS vendors offer servers and other equipment in a managed, pay-as-you-go fashion, and during assurances about hardware uptime are made, the end-user is ultimately responsible for any software-related downtime. Examples of companies that are positioned on this layer are Rackspace and Amazon.

The second level we have platform-as-a-service

On the second level we have platform-as-a-service, or PaaS, vendors. These companies offer an abstraction layer on top of the basic computing infrastructure for tasks just as storage or messaging, so that the end-user can accomplish certain computing-related tasks more easily. Examples of offerings on this layer are Microsoft's Windows Azure, or Google's App Engine.

On the IaaS and PaaS layers, services are charged on the basis of usage metrics that make sense for the end user. Servers are bought based on how many CPUs and memory you'll use, and for how long that server will be active. For computing platforms, you pay for the different tasks executed, just as storage transactions and space, messages sent and received, computations performed, when all is said and done-on.

Featuring inteviews with CXOs who define "intelligence" in their markets and reveal how their companies drive business efficiencies through ICT.