The rise of cloud computing in recent years has provided SMEs with the opportunity to cut costs and increase efficiency when it comes to their IT operations.
At the same time, along with the explosion in the number of cloud services has come a sometimes-bewildering upsurge in acronyms identifying these various services.
Below we have provided a list and definitions of 10 of the most commonly used cloud application acronyms.
1. BYOD (Bring Your Own Device):
BYOD refers to the use of various devices, often owned by employees themselves, to perform company work, either in the workplace, at home or at some other remote location.
2. SaaS (Software as a Service):
SaaS refers to software that can be ordered on-demand. You can sign up for centrally hosted software accessed via the cloud and pay for it on an ongoing basis, typically monthly or yearly. A huge variety of SaaS solutions are available, including popular bundles such as Microsoft’s Office 365 productivity software package.
3. PaaS (Platform as a Service):
PaaS offerings allow developers to access the infrastructure necessary to develop, operate, and manage applications they custom build. Such platforms offer scalability in terms of the extent of the available resources, as well as the flexibility to add or subtract different services as needed. As with SaaS, PaaS services are rented rather than purchased.
4. IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service):
Companies use IaaS to pay for access to virtual hardware allowing them to perform operations at remote data centres which include virtual server space, storage, bandwidth, and IP addresses, rather than having to own and operate centres of their own. The cloud services provider is usually responsible for maintaining the centres, while the company renting the space, in contrast to SaaS and PaaS, handles the management and upgrading of applications and operating systems.
5. MaaS (Monitoring as a Service):
MaaS is used for the purpose of collecting data regarding performance of various IT elements in real-time. It features a set of tools and solutions designed to monitor different segments of applications operating in the cloud, servers, and other IT systems.
6. XaaS (Anything as a Service):
XaaS is used to indicate a service that is offered over the Internet, as opposed to an onsite or local format. These services include SaaS, IaaS, PaaS, MaaS, and other similar arrangements. Such services typically involve a service level agreement (SLA) which specifies the details relating to how the services will be provided.
7. CAMP (Cloud Application Management for Platforms):
CAMP functions by facilitating interoperability among different cloud applications. It helps to avoid conflicts which can result from the APIs (application programming interfaces) used by PaaS services, which often differ from each other.
8. MDM (Mobile Device Management):
MDM is a service based in the cloud that has arisen in response to the BYOD (bring your own device) trend. It sends applications, configurations, and other data to various devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops, etc., thereby improving compatibility and security as they apply to distributed networks. Such networks typically feature employees working remotely via the use of various devices and operating systems.
9. HPC (High Performance Computing):
HPC refers to the aggregation of computing power in cloud servers for the purpose of creating a virtual supercomputer that has the ability to solve complex calculations.
10. DaaS (Desktop as a Service):
DaaS is also known as remote desktop. It is a service offered from the cloud allowing users to access their desktops remotely across a variety of devices. It is frequently utilized by firms with remote employees as well as those with policies which allow BYOD.
In Conclusion...
The cloud has rapidly become an essential part of the modern computing landscape. Its ability to boost a company’s productivity makes it a crucial tool for optimising a firm’s IT operations.
The explanations of the acronyms listed above are designed to provide a helpful list of the essential features of some of the most popular cloud services on the market today.
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