Exploring the Future Potential of AI-Enabled Smartphone Processors
Understanding the Cloud Computing Stack
1. ™
UNDERSTANDING
The Cloud Computing Stack
SaaS, Paas, IaaS
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2. Table of Contents
Executive Summary 1
The Cloud Computing Stack 2
Executive Summary
Software as a Service 5
Cloud Computing is a broad term that describes a broad
Characteristics of SaaS 5
range of services. As with other significant developments in
Where SaaS Makes Sense 5
technology, many vendors have seized the term “Cloud” and are
Where SaaS May Not be the Best Option 6
using it for products that sit outside of the common definition.
Case Study: SaaS Allows Groupon to Scale
Customer Service 7
In order to truly understand how the Cloud can be of value
Platform as a Service 8
to an organization, it is first important to understand what
Characteristics of PaaS 8
the Cloud really is and its different components. Since the
Where PaaS Makes Sense 9
Cloud is a broad collection of services, organizations can
Where PaaS May Not be the Best Option 9
choose where, when, and how they use Cloud Computing.
Case Study: Menumate Uses PaaS to Serve
Tasty Applications 11
In this report we will explain the different types of Cloud
Infrastructure as a Service 12
Computing services commonly referred to as Software as a
Characteristics of IaaS 12
Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure
Where IaaS Makes Sense 13
as a Service (IaaS) and give some examples and case studies
Where IaaS May Not be the Best Option 13
to illustrate how they all work. We will also provide some
Case Study: Live Smart Helps Dieters by
guidance on situations where particular flavors of Cloud
Taking an Infrastructure Diet 14
Computing are not the best option for an organization.
Conclusion 15
About Diversity Analysis 16
About Rackspace 17