ABSTRACT
Whether one considers the start of the current cloud era as the 1999 debut of https://www.salesforce.com">salesforce.com or the introduction of Amazon Web Services (AWS) in 2006, there is little doubt that cloud computing has had a profound impact on our lives over a span of only 10 to 15 years. It is no longer necessary for companies to install complex and expensive equipment with dedicated network connectivity to serve their customers. Cloud computing allows services and content to be offered globally and accessed by anyone with access to the internet. Furthermore, with the availability of pay-as-you-go cloud infrastructure services like AWS, the barriers to market entry for new services are eliminated. A handful of talented software developers are now able to build service offerings capable of serving millions of users without a huge upfront investment in computing infrastructure. As a result, an entirely new cloud-based economy has emerged.
