Categories of Cloud Providers

Cloud Computing Stack

The figure below illustrates the relationship of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) in the Cloud Computing stack. For a discussion on each type of Cloud provider, see:

Sometimes Network as a Service (NaaS) is shown in addition to the types of Cloud providers above. See .

It is very likely you have noticed other "________ as a Service" offerings mentioned in the media and online. For a discussion of this, see

Cloud Computing: IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS

Astute readers who have read the second edition of will note that this figure varies from Figure 4.5 in Chapter 4. The figure above is correct. The figure in the book incorreclty excludes operating systems from IaaS. Yes, there is a difference of opinion as to whether operating systems are part of IaaS or PaaS. For the purposes of the articles on this site, operating systems will be considered part of IaaS.

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The Savvy Manager's Guide

is also the author of a book that explains Web Services, service-oriented architecture, and Cloud Computing in an easy-to-understand, non-technical manner.

Web Services, Service-Oriented Architectures, and Cloud Computing: The Savvy Manager's Guide

by with David Dick

This is a guide for the savvy manager who wants to capitalize on the wave of change that is occurring with Web Services, service-oriented architecture, and—more recently—Cloud Computing. The changes wrought by these technologies will require both a basic grasp of the technologies and an effective way to deal with how these changes will affect the people who build and use the systems in our organizations. This book covers both issues. Managers at all levels of all organizations must be aware of both the changes that we are now seeing and ways to deal with issues created by those changes.