Difference Between PaaS and SaaS

Cloud computing is a style of computing in which resources are made available over the internet. Most often these resources are extensible and highly visualized resources and they are provided as a service. Cloud computing is broken down in to few different categories based on the type of service provided. SaaS (Software as a Service) is the category of cloud computing in which the main resources available as a service are software applications. PaaS (Platform as a Service) is the category/application of cloud computing in which the service providers deliver a computing platform or a solution stack to their subscribers over the internet.

What is PaaS?

PaaS is the category/application of cloud computing in which the service providers deliver a computing platform (a hardware architecture and a software framework) or a solution stack (computer subsystem needed to run a software). This makes it possible for the subscribers to deploy an application without having to buy and manage the necessary software and hardware requirements. The responsibility of maintaining the necessary hardware, operating systems, helper applications and databases is the sole responsibility of the service provider. The PaaS subscribers can make use of the delivered platform to build and ultimately deliver web applications and services. PaaS services typically offer complete set of facilities for designing, developing, testing and deploying applications to team collaboration, web service and database integration, version control and configuration management of software. All these facilities are usually available as a single integrated development environment making it very convenient to the developers or the users. Four popular types of PaaS are Add-on, Stand alone, delivery-only and open platform PaaS.

What is SaaS?

SaaS is one of the categories/methodologies of cloud computing. As mentioned above, resources available as a service through SaaS are specifically software applications. Here, an application is shared across multiple clients using the “one-to-many” model. The advantage offered for the SaaS user is that she can avoid installing and maintaining software and can free herself from complex software/hardware requirements. The provider of SaaS software, also known as hosted software or on-demand software, will take care of the security, availability and performance of the software because they are run on the provider’s servers. Using a multitenant architecture, a single application is delivered to millions of users through internet browsers. Customers do not require upfront licensing while providers are enjoying a lower cost because they are maintaining just one application. Popular SaaS software are Salesforce.com, Workday, Google Apps and Zogo Office.

What is IaaS?
IaaS: When the cloud computing system that is offered to you provides you with only infrastructure or the actual hardware (servers and disks), the system is essentially a IaaS. What you get is an infrastructure. You are responsible for installing all the required platforms on top of it. You are responsible for upgrading the necessary platforms if there is a new version released in the market. Let’s say you have installed the .NET Platform on IaaS. Whenever Microsoft releases a new version of .Net, you as an end user of the cloud computing system, take full responsibility of upgrading the system to a newer version of the .Net. It might require you to completely bring your website running on the cloud down, to complete the upgrading process and you will have to live with it 

What is the difference between PaaS and SaaS?

Even though, PaaS and SaaS are two applications/categories of cloud computing, they have their key differences. PaaS is the category/application of cloud computing in which the service providers deliver a computing platform or a solution stack, SaaS focuses on specifically making software applications available over the internet. Important difference between these two services can be identified from the type of subscribers. PaaS is typically used by application developers, while SaaS is used by end users. In other words, PaaS provides a mechanism to develop applications whereas SaaS provides already completed products for the use of the subscribers without modifications.

Read more: http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-paas-and-vs-saas/#ixzz1NoCwfG6H

Difference between Cloud Computing vs Grid Computing

Cloud computing and grid computing are the two different ways through which computing is done. Cloud computing means the services are used on the internet rather than local system. However, grid computing deals with the sharing of tasks over number of computers. Cloud computing can be described as a type of grid computing.

Cloud Computing

In late 2007, the term cloud computing was coined. In cloud computing, the services that are used daily are moved on the internet rather than being stored on a local machine. Email is a small example of cloud computing and it is available in both methods. Services like Yahoo mail and Google mail provide email facility and people do not need Microsoft Outlook or other applications for the purpose of mail. In this way, email service can be used anywhere in the world where there is internet connection.

After 2007, other services like spreadsheets, presentations and word processing entered cloud computing as Google provided presentation, spread sheets and word processing services and integrated them with Google Calendar and Gmail. Microsoft also entered the cloud computing arena and introduced some applications that can be used by internet users. Microsoft has largely focused on cloud computing.

Grid Computing

Sharing of tasks over number of computers is known as Grid computing. The tasks can simply be data storage or it can be complex calculations. The distribution of tasks can be over large distances. The computers in a grid can act as a part of grid while they are not in use. In order to complete projects, the grid search for unutilized cycles on different computers to access them. One of the popular grid computing projects is SETI@home. There are many organizations that rely on different volunteers who offer their computers to be added on the grid.

A virtual supercomputer is created after these computers are joined together. There may be some problem in these networked computers but still they are powerful than the supercomputers used in 70s and 80s. The principles of grid computing provide the way for modern supercomputers with many small computers attached to each other to form a supercomputer.

Different types of grids can be created using the various techniques of grid computing. By using multiple computers, power as well as flexibility is added to the system. For example, a data grid manages large information that can be accessed by the users.

However, grid computing is different from cluster computing. Firstly, there is no centralized management in grid computing as the computers are controlled in an independent manner. The computers in a grid can have different hardware or operating system.

Difference between cloud computing and grid computing

• Cloud computing involves the use of services on the internet rather than local computers while grid computing involves sharing of tasks over multiple computers.

• Resources of multiple computers are shared in grid computing which greatly helps in improving the flexibility and power of the network whereas this not the case with cloud computing.

• Applications like spreadsheets, presentations, email and word processors are part of cloud computing whereas in grid computing, data storage or complex calculations are done.

Difference Between Cloud Computing and Virtualization

• Virtualization is Technique but cloud computing is a concept using Virtualization technique.
• Virtualization could be done internally in on site and the resource involvement except hardware still exists but where as in cloud computing no internal resources will be required.

Read more: http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-cloud-computing-and-grid-computing/#ixzz1No3irZ5R

India ranked third largest cloud service user, ahead of U.S.

India ranked third largest cloud service user in world ahead of U.S., reveals a new study by Cisco Connected World Report commissioned by networking equipment vendor Cisco. The study was conducted by the U.S. market-research firm InsightExpress.

According to the study, globally 52 percent of the IT professionals have stated that the use or plan to use cloud computing. Higher cloud adoption rates are predicted in Brazil (70 percent), China (69 peThe study evaluates how IT managers are evolving their data centers and taking advantage of new technologies, while working to accommodate trends in the workplace like social media, device proliferation, video and an increasingly mobile workforce.

The top three data centre priorities for the next three years are improve agility and speed in deploying business applications (33 percent), better manage resource capacity to align demand and capacity (31 percent), increase data center resilience (19 percent), and reduce power and cooling costs (17 percent).

The study conducted in 13 countries reveals that only 18 percent of respondents are using cloud computing today, while an additional 34 percent plan to use the cloud. The present top cloud users and the top countries taking maximum advantage of cloud computing today are Brazil (27 percent), Germany (27 percent), India (26 percent), U.S. (23 percent) and Mexico (22 percent).

A large majority (88 percent) of IT respondents predict that they will be storing some percentage of their company’s data and applications in private or public clouds within the next three years. 

Cloud computing to grow 40% by 2014 in India

The cloud computing market in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 40 per cent by 2014, from an estimated $66.7 million in 2009, driven by cost and performance efficiencies, IT research firm IDC on Thursday said.

According to IDC's 'India Cloud Computing Market: Current State and Future Roadmap Study 2010', the Indian public cloud computing market was estimated to be $66.7 million in 2009.

Cloud computing is an internet-based facility to share technological resources, software and digital information. The emerging field would function on a pay-per-use model, helping companies bring down operational costs.

"In the backdrop of the global economic slowdown, cloud computing has gained wide interest. The most attractive feature of this new technology is the prospect of converting large, upfront capital investments in IT infrastructure into smaller, manageable 'pay-per-use' annuity payments," IDC India Lead Analyst (Software and Services Research) Kamal Vohra said.

This feature has sparked a high degree of interest and debate among technology vendors, users and channel partners alike, he added.

The study mapped the current adoption levels and preferences of Indian enterprises based on interviews with nearly 700 medium and large enterprises.

The study noted that since cloud computing is at a nascent stage, there is an issue of lack of awareness, which affects the overall adoption of cloud computing in India.

"A significant segment of the market is aware of the concept, but do not really understand what it actually means or how it can benefit them," IDC India Lead Analyst (User Research) Indranil Dutta said.

As the market matures and more industry vertical specific applications become available, we expect more and more Indian enterprises to see the benefit of adopting cloud computing, he added.

Read more:The Times of India

How hot is a career in Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing is the latest technology that will make life easier for people in organisations dealing with huge amounts of data and information. Today institutions, both government and private, invest a great deal in maintaining servers to store that information. However, not all of this data is accessed frequently. This results is underutilisation of available services and unnecessary costs. That's where cloud computing helps.

It uses remote servers to store and maintain data for clients who can access it when they need to. You don't need software or a server for this; all a consumer requires is an internet connection to start sending emails. The server and email management software is on a 'cloud drive' on the internet and is managed by service providers like Yahoo, and Google.

"Since cloud services has a huge potential, the demand for professionals will be equally high in the coming years. Moreover, since India does not a have ready talent pool, they might command a premium," says Nitin Khanapurkar, executive director (advisory) KPMG, who works in the domain of cloud computing.

According to a study by global IT consulting firm Zinnov, the global cloud computing market is expected to be over $70 billion by 2015, and India will create job opportunities for about 3 lakh people in the same period.

Salary levels will be equally impressive. An entry-level professional, perhaps with 5-6 years of experience, can earn around 12-19 lakh; while a mid-level executive will get around 20 lakh. People with 10-15 years experience can hope to get 30 lakh or more.

For those who want to upgrade their skills, the options are, however, limited. For their staff, IT companies themselves are providing training and there are some certificate courses offered by Aptech and NIIT, among others. Job seekers and students who want to enter the exciting world of cloud computing, might have to wait a while before choices for study open up.