The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released its final definition of “cloud computing.” after 15 drafts, the first of which was created in November 2009.
The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing (NIST Special Publication 800-145) describes cloud computing as “a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.”
The publication also provides variations and descriptions for essential characteristics, service models and deployment models.
“When agencies or companies use this definition, they have a tool to determine the extent to which the information technology implementations they are considering meet the cloud characteristics and models. This is important because by adopting an authentic cloud, they are more likely to reap the promised benefits of cloud—cost savings, energy savings, rapid deployment and customer empowerment. And matching an implementation to the cloud definition can assist in evaluating the security properties of the cloud,” said NIST computer scientist Peter Mell announcing the release.
