ISO/IEC 17788 includes the three basic services in an extended list referred to as cloud service categories. In that standard, a cloud service category is a group of cloud services that possess some common set of qualities. A cloud service category can include capabilities from one or more cloud capability types. Representative cloud service categories are:
- Communications as a service (CaaS): Real-time interaction and collaboration
- Compute as a service (CompaaS): Provision and use of processing resources needed to deploy and run software
- Data storage as a service (DSaaS): Provision and use of data storage and related capabilities
- Network as a service (NaaS): Transport connectivity and related network capabilities
These extended services are also referred to as “XaaS.” The service provider takes responsibility for installing, maintaining, and operating the “XaaS,” with the users and customers paying according to their usage. The cloud computing market is very dynamic and new cloud services will continue to materialize into new cloud service categories. Some examples of such emerging cloud service categories include:
- Database as a service: Database functionalities on demand where the installation and maintenance of the databases are performed by the cloud service provider
- Desktop as a service: The ability to build, configure, manage, store, execute, and deliver users’ desktop functions remotely
- Email as a service: Complete email service including related support services such as storage, receipt, transmission, backup, and recovery of email
- Identity as a service: Identity and access management (IAM) that can be extended and centralized into existing operating environments, including provisioning, directory management, and the operation of a single sign-on service
- Management as a service: Application management, asset and change management, capacity management, problem management (service desk), project portfolio management, service catalog, and service-level management
- Security as a service: Integration of a suite of security services with the existing operating environment by the cloud service provider, including some or all of the following: authentication, antivirus, anti-malware/-spyware, intrusion detection, and security event management, among others