As we’re starting to see commercials on television about how Cloud is a wonderful answer to all your issues in the business world, there is actually more to it. Behind what we commonly call the Cloud hides a broader range of services; here are a few, and probably the most known:
SaaS or Software as a Service is as popular as the use of Salesforce. Instead of having to download and install software on the user’s computer, the program is hosted online and accessible from everywhere. This is also the type of Cloud we offer with ClicData.
Infrastructure as a Service or IaaS provides servers, network, data storage etc., often through virtual machines. IaaS is actually quite popular as most websites are operating from servers which belong to a third party. Resources can be mutualized with other companies to diminish the costs of such infrastructures.
PaaS, or Platform as a Service provides developers with a structure to directly program their application on a controlled environment. It is usually a layer over an IaaS, as the PaaS will bring the environment over the hardware which developers need to build applications. For example Windows Azure for .net or Google App engine for Python and Java are PaaS.
DaaS (Desktop as a Service): Your entire desktop is hosted on the Cloud, allowing you to connect to your workplace from basically any devices you can find. Even if this form of cloud seems very appealing it often requires a solid internet connection.
Cloud offers more flexibility, scalability and mobility, but is also very dependent of the availability and the quality of the network around the user. As we tend to move more and more towards a state of hyper-mobility in companies, technology and usage wise, it is clear that Cloud based solutions are destined to grow in an even-bigger market in the coming years. A market which could easily, if not already, spill from the B2B over to the B2C market, thus making those Cloud related ads on public television very relevant.