Home Weekly Poll: Does it Really Matter How Cloud Computing Is Defined?

Weekly Poll: Does it Really Matter How Cloud Computing Is Defined?

In last week’s poll, we asked what companies will be at the top of cloud in the next few years. The answers demonstrate the current state of the market and the perceptions about who we see as leaders.

We had more than 1,500 responses. Google had the most votes with 288. Amazon came in second with 202 votes and Microsoft came in third with a total of 148 votes.

This week we want to know if all this debate about the definition of cloud computing is really getting us nowhere:


James Governor of RedMonk says the debate is like the ones we always see when we get hit with a new wave of technology. He quotes his colleague Michael Coté:

:The other day I was reading some of his notes and came across this line of beautiful simplicity.
a simple mapping:
IaaS = servers, storage
PaaS = middleware
SaaS = applications

There now, that wasn’t so hard was it? Now that is what I call a burger. The next time someone tries to take you through 30 slides explaining the cloud you can just nod sagely, and say… “ohhhh. you mean servers, middleware and apps. Yeah I get it.”

Problems arise when there is no clear view about what cloud computing actually means. That’s the issue now facing U.S. federal agencies. From next.gov:

“The federal government has pretty significant efforts going on, but one of the things we realized is that there were multiple flowers blooming and not a lot of guidance,” said Eugene Huang, government operations director for the National Broadband Task Force, a panel of FCC officials, consultants and technology experts.

So, what do you think? Do we need to do a better job in defining cloud computing?

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.