The majority of information on cloud computing is either extremely technical and filled with details that are unnecessary to non-technologists, or it is pure marketing guff where the cloud is just a selling feature. But in this book, the cloud is explained from the perspective of the user, particularly the business user. What the cloud is, when to use it (and when not to), how to choose a cloud service, how to integrate it with other technologies, and the best practices for using cloud computing are all explained by Nayan Ruparelia.
Ruparelia quotes the National Institute of Science and Technology’s clear and concise description of cloud computing, which cuts through the hype: an architecture that enables universal, practical, on-demand network access to a common pool of reconfigurable computing resources. Businesses can therefore access information technology resources through cloud computing that are typically only accessible to large organizations. And Ruparelia shows how this is a paradigm change in business. It will make startup funding easier, change corporate ideas, and give large corporations more flexibility.
The main concerns for every firm thinking about using cloud computing are covered by Ruparelia. These concerns include service level agreements, business service consumption and delivery, finances, legal jurisdiction, security, and social responsibility. New ideas made available by cloud computing are introduced, including cloud cells, or specialized clouds for particular purposes, the personal cloud, the cloud of things, and cloud service exchanges. In addition to explaining how to switch to a cloud service, he looks at use case patterns in terms of infrastructure and platform, software information, and business process. This book is a crucial resource for current and potential cloud users.
