What Every Business Person Needs to Know About Cloud Computing

What Every Business Person Needs to Know About Cloud Computing:from Business 2 Community by Ryan Galloway
No matter what your field may be, chances are that you’re already using cloud computing. While you may not think of it as such, cloud computing is so ubiquitous today that it’s almost unavoidable — and that’s not a bad thing. Cloud computing is, essentially, the use of resources — like virus protection, web hosting, and data storage — delivered over a network rather than a physical machine in your particular location. Many of these services may be referred to by acronyms like “SaaS”, “SECaaS, “DaaS”, and “IaaS”. If these sound complex or foreign to you, allow us to demystify the most common terms associated with cloud computing.
Software as a Service: Abbreviated as “SaaS” and frequently simplified as “software on demand,” Software as a Service simply refers to any kind of software or application that hosted on a cloud-based network. Common workplace applications like SalesForce and Replicon are fine examples of Software as a Service: you can log in to them via your web browser and have access to the full range of functionality without having anything installed on your personal machine.
Security as a Service: Typically abbreviated as “SECaaS,” Security as a Service refers to protection from viruses, malware, or other potentially harmful network-based intrusion that occurs over a network, rather than via a piece of security software on your local machine.
Data as a Service: Often known simply as “DaaS,” this term refers to the storage of data on an external network. This data is “on demand,” meaning an authorized user can access it remotely at any time. This means your data — you may have guessed it by now — isn’t on your physical machine but on a network. This is one of the most common types of cloud computing as it offers data storage, something often costly to larger web companies, in a much more cost-effective manner than local device storage without sacrificing quality or accessibility.
Infrastructure as a Service: Lastly, IaaS is the most basic method of cloud computing. In fact, it’s the foundation for all of cloud computing. IaaS offers the use of remote or virtual computing resources for a number of different services. These types of services are essentially like having an unlimited supply of computing power without taking up vast amounts of physical space in your home or office.
Cloud computing will play an increasingly vital role in our working lives, so it’s best to get a handle on the key terms now. Of course there are a number of other, somewhat more obscure, terms that you may encounter regarding the cloud, but a quick search should help clear up any confusion.