Cloud=Internet ? I don't think so.

I have recently seen several blog posts bemoaning the prominence of Cloud Computing on the “hype-o-meter.” More than a few times, I have read suggestions that the very term “Cloud” be replaced with “Internet” to mitigate the cheapening effect of over-use (or inappropriate use by those looking to profit by the association.)

Whenever the discussion of “defining” Cloud Computing arises, I turn to the canonical source, the NIST v15 (currently.) I was surprised, but not shocked, that the word “Internet” did not appear among the 790 that comprise the document.

http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SNS/cloud-computing/

How can this be? If Cloud Computing is so closely interwoven with (or SYNONYMOUS with) the Public Internet, why is this not reflected in what is considered by many to be the quintessential definition on the topic.

I propose that while the Internet can, and often does provide the pipes through which Cloud Computing is deployed and accessed, it is not a hard and fast requirement.
In fact, I would go as far as to suggest that for IaaS and PaaS, dedicated communication links may in fact be a better solution. As SaaS frequently assumes remote workers, or one-to-many connections, often the Internet is the only viable solution (unless the SaaS is accessed only from specific locations.)

Granted, the funding of the Public Internet is subsidized by the National Science Foundation (our tax dollars), as well as advertising , and enjoys incredible economies of scale, but for the sake of security as well as Quality of Service, “nailed up” connections for a few extra bucks may, in fact, resolve numerous issues that are currently preventing many Cloud initiatives from moving forward. We have all become spoiled by the relative “cheapness” of telecom since the advent of the Public Internet, and can tend to forget that a little over a decade ago it was common practice to lease T1s and T3s for literally ALL of our communications among headquarters and branch locations.

Considering all the saving that can potentially be realized by adopting other facets of Cloud Computing, negotiating a dedicated line (or two for redundancy) with a Cloud Provider may end up a negligible expense in the grand scheme of things.

As wonderful as the Internet is, I believe it is a mistake to assume that it can compete with a customized, secure, low-latency private connection with guaranteed QoS and a Service Level Agreement . Dedicated lines will never be matched by consumer-grade (or even inexpensive “business class”) commodity ISP service.

It simply goes back to the old adage "You get what you pay for."