Cloud computing is an evolving model that is best described in terms of business and IT functionality. Today, most business and IT system functions are delivered or supported by on-premises, functionally (or business unit) aligned IT systems. These systems are comprised of servers, networking equipment, and storage hardware, and are generally housed in a computer room, data centre, or other facility that is managed, controlled, or contractually bound to the organisation in question. If we replace the word ‘cloud’ with the word ‘Internet’, then things start to become easier to understand. ‘Cloud computing’ is, in effect, ‘Internet computing’, i.e. a computing model that uses Internet-based technologies to deliver a range of services.

However, it is important to understand the different classifications, or layers, which Cloud computing can operate at: Ovum uses a four layer model; Infrastructure, platform, software, and business services. Within, these layers there also exists a further complication, in that we do not believe initially that organisations will adopt to use ‘public’ clouds, rather the market will be separated into three classes; public, internal (organisations building their own onpremise solutions), and private (a mixture of public and internal but with an emphasis on being like a private club, by invitation only).

The objective of this Master Class is to introduce Cloud computing, and position the term and the different aspects of IT that the terms is now used to cover, examine the drivers behind the phenomena, understand the technologies that contribute to Cloud computing, recognise the benefits and challenges that currently exist, and examine the market and the leading vendor’s strategies.

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