Difference between revisions 486362242 and 486362699 on enwiki

{{merge-to|Cloud computing|discuss=Talk:Cloud computing#Introduction to Cloud computing|date=March 2012}}
{{Introductory article|Cloud computing}}
[[File:Cloud computing.svg|400px|thumb]]
The two words in the phrase ''cloud computing'' have the following interpretations:

* '''Cloud''': As a noun, this is a metaphor for the [[Internet]],<ref name=Metaphor>{{cite web|url=
(contracted; show full)

These applications are:

* Part of [[Introduction_to_Cloud_computing#Software_as_a_Service |Software as a Service]], which is one of the cloud-computing [[Introduction_to_Cloud_computing#Service_models |service models]].
* Located in a [[Introduction_to_Cloud_computing#Private_cloud |private cloud]] if the software is supplied to just one consumer, or in a [[Introduction_to_Cloud_computing#Public_cloud |public cloud]] if any 
entityperson or organisation needing the software can become a consumer. These are two of the cloud-computing [[Introduction_to_Cloud_computing#Deployment_models |deployment models]].
* Hosted by an [[Application_service_provider |Application Service Provider]] (ASP).<ref name=AppSP>{{cite web|url= http://www.cloudcomputingworld.org/customer-relationship-management/what-is-an-application-service-provider.html|title= What Is An Application Service Provider?|publisher=Cloud Computing World|date= |accessdate=28 February 2012}}</ref>

The authorised users of the hosted software include the organisationconsumer's staff, and possibly the staff of their associates, such as customers and suppliers. The private data includes confidential information entered by the users, such as financial-transaction amounts, but there could also be a publicly-accessible aspect, such as a [[Comparison of shopping cart software |shopping-cart]] feature that can be used by visitors to a retail organisation's website.

==Third-party application providers==

(contracted; show full)*[[Platform as a service|Platform as a Service]]
*[[Software as a service|Software as a Service]]

=References=
{{Reflist|30em}}

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[[Category:Cloud computing]]