Building a Cloud Computing Specification: Fundamental Engineering for Optimizing Cloud Computing Initiatives

The need for a specification for Cloud Computing has emerged. The commoditization of the term "Cloud Computing" for various marketing purposes has diluted, and in some cases compromised the underlying intent of Cloud Computing. However, the recognition of the foundational computing model inferred by the generic term as a significant technique for computing in the 21st century is clear. Cloud Computing represents a disruptive, watershed event no less significant that the compute model revolutions that preceded it. This paper presents a specification for Cloud Computing with the goal of providing an engineered description of the concept. A by-product of creating this specification is an applied analytical method for understanding Cloud Computing within any business setting.