Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a comprehensive cloud computing platform provided by Amazon, offering on-demand infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), platform-as-a-service (PaaS), and software-as-a-service (SaaS) capabilities—including compute power, storage, databases, analytics, networking, and more—delivered globally with pay-as-you-go pricing to enable scalable, flexible IT solutions.
"What Is AWS?" Amazon Web Services, aws.amazon.com/what-is-aws. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Cloud computing is 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, featuring characteristics like on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and measured service.
Mell, Peter, and Timothy Grance. "The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing." National Institute of Standards and Technology, Special Publication 800-145, Sept. 2011, nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/SP/nistspecialpublication800-145.pdf. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Consumerization of technology (or consumerization of IT) refers to the trend where consumer-oriented technologies, devices, and expectations (e.g., smartphones, apps, ease-of-use) influence and enter enterprise/workplace environments, driving changes in IT practices, governance, and adoption as employees bring personal tools and demand similar usability and flexibility at work.
Gregory, Robert Wayne, et al. "IT Consumerization and the Transformation of IT." MIS Quarterly, vol. 42, no. 4, Dec. 2018, pp. 1225-1253, misq.umn.edu/misq/article/42/4/1225/1750/It-Consumerization-and-the-Transformation-of-IT. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a contract between a service provider and a customer that defines the expected level of service, including performance metrics (e.g., uptime, response time), measurement methods, remedies for non-compliance (e.g., credits), and responsibilities of both parties.
"What Is an SLA (Service Level Agreement)?" IBM, www.ibm.com/think/topics/service-level-agreement. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Software as a Service (SaaS) is a cloud computing delivery model where applications are hosted and managed by a third-party provider, accessed over the internet (often via a web browser) on a subscription basis, with the provider handling infrastructure, maintenance, updates, and security.
"What Is Software as a Service (SaaS)?" IBM, www.ibm.com/think/topics/saas. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Usage-based pricing (also pay-as-you-go or pay-per-use) is a billing model in cloud computing where customers pay only for the actual resources or services consumed (e.g., per hour of compute, per GB of storage, or per API call), rather than fixed subscriptions, enabling cost efficiency and scalability.
"What Is Cloud Computing?" Amazon Web Services, aws.amazon.com/what-is-cloud-computing. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
The freemium model is a business strategy that offers a basic version of a product or service for free to attract users, while charging for premium features, advanced functionality, or enhanced capabilities to generate revenue from a subset of users who upgrade.
"Freemium Business Model: Definition, Examples, Pros & Cons." Investopedia, www.investopedia.com/terms/f/freemium.asp. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
The subscription revenue model is a recurring billing approach where customers pay a regular fee (monthly/annually) for ongoing access to a product, service, or content, providing predictable revenue streams and often including updates, support, and scalability (common in SaaS and cloud services).
"What Is Software as a Service (SaaS)?" IBM, www.ibm.com/think/topics/saas. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Distributed computing architecture is a design where computing tasks, data, and resources are spread across multiple interconnected computers or nodes (rather than a single centralized system), enabling parallelism, fault tolerance, scalability, and collaboration (e.g., client-server, peer-to-peer, or three-tier models).
"What Is Distributed Computing?" IBM, www.ibm.com/think/topics/distributed-computing. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Remote servers are computing servers located in off-site data centers (often managed by cloud providers) that users access over the internet or networks, handling processing, storage, and applications without requiring local hardware ownership or maintenance.
"What Is Cloud Computing?" Amazon Web Services, aws.amazon.com/what-is-cloud-computing. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Client-server dependency refers to the reliance in a client-server architecture where client devices (e.g., browsers, apps) request services or data from centralized remote servers, creating a dependency on server availability, performance, and connectivity for functionality.
"What Is Distributed Computing?" IBM, www.ibm.com/think/topics/distributed-computing. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Network reliability constraints are limitations or risks in distributed/cloud systems stemming from potential network issues (e.g., latency, outages, bandwidth variability, packet loss), which can affect performance, data transfer, uptime, and user experience despite server-side robustness.
"What Is Cloud Computing?" TechTarget, www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/definition/cloud-computing. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Vendor lock-in is a situation where high switching costs (e.g., data migration, retraining, proprietary formats, integration dependencies) make it difficult or expensive for a customer to move from one cloud provider or software vendor to another, reducing flexibility and bargaining power.
"What Is Vendor Lock-In?" Cloudflare, www.cloudflare.com/learning/cloud/what-is-vendor-lock-in. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Data residency refers to the physical or geographical location where an organization's data is stored and processed (e.g., in specific countries or regions), often required for compliance with privacy laws like GDPR that mandate data remain within certain borders.
"What Is Data Residency?" IBM, www.ibm.com/think/topics/data-residency. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Off-site data storage involves keeping data in remote facilities or cloud data centers (away from the user's physical location), providing benefits like disaster recovery, scalability, and redundancy but introducing considerations for access, security, and compliance.
"What Is Cloud Computing?" Amazon Web Services, aws.amazon.com/what-is-cloud-computing. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
System deployment costs are the expenses associated with initially setting up and rolling out a software/system/cloud solution, including configuration, migration, testing, training, and integration—often lower in cloud models due to rapid provisioning.
"What Is AWS?" Amazon Web Services, aws.amazon.com/what-is-aws. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Implementation lag refers to the time delay between deciding to adopt a new system/technology (e.g., cloud migration) and it becoming fully operational, including planning, migration, testing, and user adoption phases.
"What Is Cloud Computing?" TechTarget, www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/definition/cloud-computing. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Ongoing operational support encompasses the continuous maintenance, monitoring, updates, troubleshooting, and management required to keep a system (e.g., cloud infrastructure or SaaS) running efficiently post-deployment, often handled by providers in cloud models.
"What Is an SLA (Service Level Agreement)?" IBM, www.ibm.com/think/topics/service-level-agreement. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Strategic development costs are investments in long-term planning, innovation, customization, or R&D for IT systems/software, which can be offset in cloud models by focusing resources on core business rather than infrastructure.
"What Is AWS?" Amazon Web Services, aws.amazon.com/what-is-aws. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Software piracy reduction refers to measures (e.g., cloud-based delivery, subscription models, licensing enforcement) that minimize unauthorized copying/use of software by shifting to controlled access, updates via providers, and no local installable copies.
"What Is Software as a Service (SaaS)?" IBM, www.ibm.com/think/topics/saas. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
1. A UT student launches a startup and decides to host their app using AWS instead of buying physical servers. They can quickly increase or decrease computing resources depending on how many users are active, and they only pay for what they use. Which concept BEST explains this setup?
2. A student builds an app using a cloud provider. Over time, the app becomes deeply integrated with that provider's tools, data formats, and services. When the student considers switching providers, they realize it would require major changes and high costs. Which concept BEST explains this challenge?
3. A campus startup uses a SaaS platform for project management. They pay a monthly fee per user and always have access to the latest features without installing updates. The provider handles maintenance and security. Which concept BEST describes how the company is paying for and accessing the software?
4. A student uses a cloud-based file storage service to save class notes. When the campus internet goes down, they are unable to access their files, even though the provider's servers are still running normally. Which concept BEST explains this limitation?
5. A company is comparing traditional software to cloud-based solutions. They notice that cloud systems require little upfront setup and can be deployed quickly, while traditional systems take months to install, configure, and test. Which concept BEST explains the delay in traditional systems?