The cloud is a general metaphor that is used to refer to the Internet, a network of connected computers. Instead of accessing files and data[1] from a local or personal computer, you access them online from any Internet-capable device.
Microsoft’s cloud computing platform that offers a range of services and tools for building, deploying, and managing applications and services in the cloud.
The approach taken to “deliver” enterprise software. It is usually used when referring to a software application. There are three primary delivery models for enterprise software: (1) licensed on-premise model in which a customer purchases software and owns it; (2) SaaS or “Software as a Service” model in which the customer “rents” the software, and the supplier runs and updates the software, providing the software as a service offering rather than as a product; and, (3) hosted model in which a customer purchases or leases the software, and a third party runs the software for that customer. Many customers use a “hybrid” approach, a combination of on-premise solutions and cloud or SaaS.
A client/server standard used to transfer files between computers over the Internet using control and data channels. More modern and secure methods of transferring data are SFTP (using a secure channel between computer systems); HTTPS (adds an added layer of encryption); AS2 (generates an envelope for the data with digital certifications and encryption); MFT (providing extensive security that meets security policies for HIPAA, PCI (Payment Card Industry), etc.). Additionally, cloud storage rooms like Dropbox and Virtual Data Rooms may also be used to share data.
A form of cloud computing that provides virtualized computing resources over the internet. In an IaaS model, a cloud provider hosts the infrastructure components traditionally present in an on-premises data center, including servers, storage and networking hardware, as well as the virtualization or hypervisor layer.
A thin client is a networked computer with few locally stored programs and a heavy dependence on network resources. Thin clients rely on a network connection to a central server for full computing and don't do much processing on the hardware itself. A thin client is often sufficient enough to connect to the network and access a SaaS/cloud system.
