Knowledge Base & Resource Center
Dictionary of Cloud Computing Terms
Private cloud: A computing system that uses virtualization to achieve higher economies of scale, but is dedicated to the use of a single company or entity.
Public cloud: A computing system that usually includes virtualization that achieves greater economies of scale by providing IT infrastructure, and or applications to multiple or many companies or entities.
Hybrid cloud: Hybrid cloud combines the benefits of the private cloud and the public cloud to achieve greater scale and lower costs.
Combined cloud: A combined cloud is simply two or more clouds that have been combined to form a single cloud.
Intercloud: The inter-cloud is more concept and reality now but suffice it to say that the intra-cloud represents the point where cloud computing meets grid computing.
Cloud Technology: The term cloud technology refers to the physical parts of the cloud that make cloud computing possible. This indludes web servers, database servers, backup data houses, etc.
Cloud Communications: References to cloud communications could be referring to one of two possible definitions. The first is the use of cloud computing to help communication and collaboration on social, mobile, wired, or wireless channels. The second is referring to the communication of different parts of a cloud with one another. For example, a web server with a firewall or a database server with managed backup.