Cloud computing is a hot topic currently – but it is a complex subject area with different meanings to different people. In its simplest form, it is a term used for cloud storage/backup services. Others use the term to describe their software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings – where software applications that would have been run on your own servers are now hosted by a service provider. Finally, and perhaps the most demanding, is CaaS – communications-as-a-service – where a real-time enterprise communications platform is hosted in the cloud.
In the communications technology space that Aculab has been a part of for some 30 years, we are also working towards making the cloud-based communications service a reality. Many thought, perhaps, that it would not be possible to host real-time voice and video communications in the cloud, as they require precise control of network delays, tight jitter tolerances and QoS guarantees. But it is possible, and in fact can work very well.
