What is the Relationship Between Cloud and Virtualisation?

Although cloud computing encompasses a large range of compute services, typically labelled as either infrastructure (IaaS) or applications (SaaS and PaaS), they all fit within the taxi model.

End users only pay for the services or resources they use, the service and ability to provision is always available. Users have the flexibility to request different services however the underlying infrastructure is not their concern and cannot be modified.

In summary, virtualisation improves IT efficiency - enabling traditional computing with fewer resources; whereas cloud computing improves IT effectiveness - empowering more people to build services with more flexibility and fewer experts. When implemented accurately, both technologies can provide attractive an ROI for the IT department.