Cloud services defined
In a new report entitled "Seeing Through the Clouds," TM Forum's managing director of Insights Research, Rob Rich, defines cloud computing as a model for on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services).
"These computing resources are rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction."
According to input from service providers and cloud computing vendors alike, Rich contends there are five essential characteristics cloud computing environments should possess: on-demand self-service; broad network access; resource pooling; rapid elasticity for rapid provisioning; and measured service for automatic control and optimization of resources through metering capabilities.