Contrasting views on
cloud computing are creating confusion in the market place,
says analyst Gartner.
The term
"cloud computing" is being loosely applied and defined
differently, and it is creating a lot of confusion in the market,
said Gartner.
Gartner defines cloud computing as a style of computing in which
massively scalable IT-related capabilities are provided "as a
service" using internet technologies to multiple external
customers.
However, there have been different perceptions of what is
included in cloud computing.
"The term cloud computing has come to mean two very different
things: a broader use that focuses on 'cloud", and a more-focused
use on system infrastructure and virtualisation," said David
Mitchell Smith, an analst at Gartner. "Mixing the discussion of
'cloud-enabling technologies' with 'cloud computing services'
creates confusion."
He said, "Although these perspectives are different, there is a
connection between them. Any provider of cloud computing services
must have an environment that includes an infrastructure to support
their delivery. Virtualisation often is used to implement this
underlying infrastructure to support delivery of the cloud
computing services.
"But cloud system infrastructure services are a subset of cloud
computing, not the entire picture."
Gartner says firms should clearly separate the consideration of
cloud computing and cloud computing services from the use of cloud
computing-related concepts and technologies for the creation of
internal systems.
Both perspectives - services and technologies - are valuable and
should be pursued, but they are two separate initatives despite
being related, Gartner said.
