Affordable: Cloud computing services are purchased subscription style, with users paying only for what they use.  No capital outlay for servers, storage devices or staffing to keep systems running is required.

Cloud Computing: Provides users access to IT-related capabilities (infrastructure and/or applications) “as a service” without regard for the underlying technology or physical hardware.  Inherent in this solution is a high level of resiliency and variable capacity.

Cloud Server: A “server” is simply an operating system leveraging the pool of CPU and Ram resources available from the underlying physical hardware also referred to as a virtual server.

Cloud app –  a software application that is never installed on a local machine — it’s always accessed over the Internet.

Cloud arcs – short for cloud architectures. Designs for software applications that can be accessed and used over the Internet.  (Cloud-chitecture is just too hard to pronounce.)

Cloud bridge – running an application in such a way that its components are integrated within multiple cloud environments (which could be any combination of internal/private and external/public clouds).

Cloudcenter – a large company, such as Amazon, that rents its infrastructure.

Cloud client – computing device for cloud computing. Updated version of thin client.

Cloud enabler – vendor that provides technology or service that enables a client or other vendor to take advantage of cloud computing.

Cloud envy – used to describe a vendor who jumps on the cloud computing bandwagon by rebranding existing services.

Cloud OS – also known as platform-as-a-service (PaaS). Think Google Chrome.

Cloud portability – the ability to move applications and associated data across multiple cloud computing environments.

Cloud provider – makes storage or software available to others over a private network or public network (like the Internet.)

Cloud service architecture (CSA) – an architecture in which applications and application components act as services on the Internet

Cloud storage – (just what it says) Sometimes compared to leasing a car – you’ll have monthly payments but hopefully you’ll always have the lastest/greatest technology. You’ll never own the technology though.

Cloudburst – what happens when your cloud has an outage or security breach and your data is unavailable.

Cloud as a service (CaaS) –  a cloud computing service that has been opened up into a platform that others can build upon.

Cloud-oriented architecture (COA) – IT architecture that lends itself well to incorporating cloud computing components.

Cloudsourcing – outsourcing storage or taking advantage of some other type of cloud service.

Cloudstorm – connecting multiple cloud computing environments. Also called cloud network.

Cloudware – software that enables building, deploying, running or managing applications in a cloud computing environment.

Cloudwashing – slapping the word “cloud” on products and services you already have.

External cloud – a cloud computing environment that is external to the boundaries of the organization.

Flexible Capacity:  This flexible capacity is a key difference between cloud computing and traditional outsourcing and hosted data centers. Clouds, like the one provided by BlueLock, gives clients access to essentially “unlimited capacity on demand.

Funnel cloud – discussion about cloud computing that goes round and round but never turns into action (never “touches the ground”)

Hybrid cloud – a computing environment that combines both private and public cloud computing environments.

Internal cloud – also called a private cloud. A cloud computing-like environment within the boundaries of an organization.

On Demand: One of the primary advantages of using the cloud is the ability to access resources as you need them, including processing power, of memory, network bandwidth, and gigabytes of storage.

Personal cloud – synonymous with something called MiFi, a personal wireless router. It takes a mobile wireless data signal and translates it to wi-fi.  It’s pronounced ME-fi, as in “the personal cloud belongs to me — but if you’re nice I’ll let you connect.”

Private cloud – an internal cloud behind the organization’s firewall. The company’s IT department provides softwares and hardware as a service to its customers — the people who work for the company. Vendors love the words “private cloud.”

Public cloud – a cloud computing environment that is open for use to the general public.

Roaming workloads– the backend product of cloudcenters.

Vertical cloud – a cloud computing environment optimized for use in a particular vertical industry

Virtual: Is a process by which multiple operating systems (servers) run on a single piece of hardware or physical server

Virtual private cloud (VPC) – similar to VPN but applied to cloud computing. Can be used to bridge private cloud and public cloud environments.