Abstraction: representing features of a system to users without providing access to detailed configuration

Aggregate CSP: cloud service providers that offer a comprehensive blend of services using two or more cloud service models

Application programming interfaces (API): a type of software interface that offers a service to other pieces of software, such as access to or transmission of data, according to predefined rules

Ambiguity: a lack of clarity about events

Assurance: a measure of how knowledgeable and courteous CSP employees are

Big bang migrations: an approach to cloud migration that focuses on moving all identified components into the cloud as quickly as possible

Business case: a justification for the expenditure of organizational resources, providing information about costs, benefits, options, risks and issues

Cannibalism: a parallel operating model where the organization focuses on the rapid deconstruction of a strategy

Cloud: the provision of IT services that are available on demand, via the internet, from a pool of shared resources. These might be storage, processing facilities, operating systems, applications, functionality, development platforms, and/or IT management facilities

Cloud readiness assessment: a formal process for identifying if an organization has a suitable operating model to adopt cloud services

Cloud service model specialist: a CSP that focuses on a niche service, often related to IaaS, PaaS or SaaS services

Cloud service provider (CSP): an organization that offers private or public cloud-based infrastructure, platforms, or applications on an on-demand (or pay-per-use) basis

Cloud service provider partner: an organization that is formally recognized by one or more CSPs, and specializes in helping consumer organizations to plan for, prepare for, acquire, and use cloud services. Types of partners include resellers, brokers, consultancies, implementors and solution developers

Cloud sprawl: over-utilization of cloud services through duplication and failure to decommission services that are no longer used

Co-creation: the ongoing cost of running web services

Complexity: a situation where there is a large number of issues and confusion surrounding the organization

Concurrence: a parallel operating model where a new operating model neither helps nor harms the existing strategies

Continual improvement: a recurring organizational activity to ensure that an organization’s performance continually meets stakeholders’ expectations

Continual improvement model: a model that can be used to drive changes and improvements

Customer experience: the sum of functional and emotional interactions with a service and service provider as perceived by a customer

Customer journey: the complete end-to-end experience that service customers have with one or more service providers and/or their products through touchpoints and service interactions

Elasticity: the extent to which capacity can be provided to services in order to match realtime demand and performance requirements

Empathy: a measure of the level of personal attention cloud consumers receive

Erosion: a parallel operating model where the organization uses the revenues of an existing strategy to fund a new strategy

Evolutionary migration: an approach to cloud migration where each service is moved one at a time until all services are based on the cloud

Hybrid cloud: a combination of bespoke and standardized services from several internal and/or external service providers

Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS): a service model that provides technology components, such as standardized infrastructure services on a pay-as-you-use or reserved-use basis. Using IaaS services abstracts the user from the hardware layer of the solution

Legacy system: an outdated IT system that is still in use

Multi cloud: a deployment model in which a single workload can be spread across two or more cloud service providers

Multi-tenancy: a technology environment that is architected to support more than one customer at a time

Onboarding: the process of transferring services to a cloud provider

One-off migration: a migration of a single service or application to the cloud

Operating model: tools used to facilitate the design and configuration of an organization’s operations, enabling value creation

Platform-as-a-service (PaaS): a service model that provides an environment within which systems and solutions can be built. Using PaaS services abstracts the user from the infrastructure layer of the solution

Private cloud: a deployment model based on customized consumer requirements. A private cloud model is consumer centric, and each service is built specifically for individual consumers. This could be provided by an internal IT department or a service provider

Public cloud: a deployment model in which standard services using standardized components are delivered to a range of consumer organizations by a cloud service provider (CSP)

Reliability: a measure of the CSP’s or partner’s ability to deliver dependable and robust cloud services

Requirement: something that a customer needs; a product or service to contain or perform

Responsiveness: a measure of how quickly a CSP addresses incidents

Return on investment (ROI): a measurement of the expected benefit of an investment. In the simplest sense, it is the profit of an investment divided by the costs invested. Most calculations will also include qualitative elements, such as the impact on culture and the perception of stakeholders

Scalability: the ability of an IT service, process, and so on to perform its agreed function when the workload or scope changes

Shared responsibility model: a model defining the line between consumer and provider responsibilities. It should be tailored based on the service and the organizational context

Software-as-a-service (SaaS): a service model that provides applications which can be used as they are, or with limited customization to suit a particular consumer. Using SaaS services abstracts the user from the underlying platform and infrastructure layers of the solution

Synergism: a parallel operating model where the new operating model enhances or strengthens existing strategies

Tangibles: a measure of CSP cloud portals, documentation, training, assessments and other factors

Uncertainty: a lack of predictability in an environment

Utility: the functionality offered by a product or service to meet a particular need. Utility can be summarized as “what the service does” and can be used to determine whether a service is “fit for purpose”. To have utility, a service must either support the performance of the consumer or remove constraints from the consumer. Many services do both

Vendor lock-in: the dependency on a cloud service provider for services and the inability to use another vendor without substantial switching costs

Virtualization: using software to create a virtual system and is separate software from underlying hardware

Volatility: a situation where an industry, market or overall environment is changing rapidly

VUCA: a term used to describe turbulent, chaotic environments

Warranty: assurance that a product or service will meet agreed requirements. Warranty can be summarized as “how the service performs” and can be used to determine whether a service is “fit for use”. Warranty often relates to service levels aligned with the needs of service consumers. This may be based on a formal agreement, or it may be a marketing message or brand image. Warranty typically addresses such areas as the availability of the service, its capacity, levels of security and continuity. A service may be said to provide acceptable assurance, or “warranty,” if all defined and agreed conditions are met

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