What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing is a concept of computing in which software functionality is provided as a service, over the internet, in a way that offers flexibility and scalability. The purchaser of the software need not have specific knowledge of the tools used to host, deliver or customize the software.
It is very common for “the cloud” to be divided into three components; IaaS, PaaS and SaaS.
EXPERT ADVICE: Test cloud computing solutions for your next IT project to save significant up front expense, to save time and to deploy better software. If successful, then explore a larger adoption of cloud computing in your organization.
What is software as a service (SaaS)?
Software as a Service refers to the utilization of software functionality that the user does not own. SaaS is delivered over the web to a web browser. Software delivered in this manner often integrates with other SaaS applications behind the scenes, sometimes without the user’s knowledge. This integration of applications behind the scenes enables a vendor to extend its capabilities for their customers.
EXPERT ADVICE: Adopt SaaS oriented solutions to avoid large, upfront capital expenditures and to instead incur smaller operating expenses. Also use SaaS to deploy quickly and to only pay for what you need.
What is platform as a service (PaaS)?
Platform as a Service refers to the tools used to build or customize SaaS applications, and to manage IaaS hosting providers. PaaS exists to make SaaS more flexible, and to give the customer more choices.
EXPERT ADVICE: Use a PaaS based SaaS solution when the SaaS solution alone is not flexible enough for your needs. Use the PaaS to customize your solution, or to change the choice of hardware provider, including hosting the software on your own servers.
What is a 5th generation software language (5GL)?
Something tagged as a 5GL is conveying two meanings;
1. It can be used by people who are not trained software developers
2. It is comprehensive enough to deliver rich and sophisticated software functionality
EXPERT ADVICE: Use a 5GL PaaS when you want to make your programming team much faster, or when you want to empower non-programmers to assume responsibility for the customization.
What is infrastructure as a service (IaaS)?
Infrastructure as a Service refers to the use of an external provider’s hardware and internet connections in a way that is easy and fast to setup, while remaining flexible and scalable to accommodate ongoing demands.
EXPERT ADVICE: Use IaaS so that you only have to pay for what you use, and so that you can add or reduce computing capacity quickly. Also use IaaS when you want flexibility in choosing where your application is hosted.
More FAQ’s!
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