Has Cloud Computing Jumped the Shark?

by Eric Knorr, InfoWorld.com

So many vendors have jumped on the cloud computing bandwagon, the phrase already risks jumping the shark. The problem is that “cloud computing” has two distinctly different meanings: The use of commercial Internet-based services, and the architecture for building and deploying such services.

InfoWorld has adopted the former definition. Last April we boiled it down to this: “Cloud computing encompasses any subscription-based or pay-per-use service that, in real time over the Internet, extends IT’s existing capabilities.” That includes infrastructure services (such as Amazon EC2), software as a service (à la Salesforce), and Web-based development platforms (including Force.com, Microsoft Azure, and so on).

Big vendors like Dell and IBM prefer the other definition. If you need proof, read on.