Cloud computing is a distributed architecture that centralizes server resources on a scalable platform in order to provide "on demand" computing resources.

A true cloud platform will allocate new storage space, additional bandwidth and additional CPUs, when needed.

The design goal of a cloud computing installation is to reduce administrative chores and provide a more dyanmic server environment than traditional server environments.

It solves the problem system engineers face in planning for peak demand. A cloud computing environment should not run slow down during periods of peak demand. Additional computing resources should be provided by the cloud platform.

The use of the term cloud is often expanded to refer to any client-server application, such as hosted email, or Apple iTunes, for example. However, a cloud computing design is based on the principle of a scalable architecture that can used by system engineers.

The cloud computing architecture is comprised of 3 primary standards.

IaaS or Infrastructure-as-a-Service. Click here for an explanation of IaaS.

PaaS or Platform-as-a-Service. Click here for an explanation of PaaS.

SaaS or Software-as-a-Service. Click here for an explanation of SaaS.

Companies offering cloud computing products and services.

IaaS or Infrastructure-as-a-Service suppliers. Click here for an IaaS directory.

PaaS or Platform-as-a-Service suppliers. Click here for a PaaS directory.

SaaS or Software-as-a-Service suppliers. Click here for an IaaS directory.