Glossary

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Related Definitions

Data Storage

What is meant by data storage?


In the context of cloud computing, data storage refers to the process of storing and managing digital information in either a remote server or a data center provided by a cloud service provider such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft Azure.


The cloud ultimately provides a versatile platform for storing various types of data, whether that be documents, media files, application data, machine learning data or structured data.

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Master Service Agreement (MSA)

What is a Master Service Agreement?


A Master Service Agreement (MSA) is a contract between two parties, in this case the software provider and the buyer, outlining the terms and conditions of the agreement. It will typically cover pricing, payment terms, service levels, intellectual property rights, confidentiality, liability, termination, and dispute resolution.


Unlike a service level agreement (SLA) which outlines the specific performance metrics and criteria for the delivery of a particular service, for example uptime guarantees and support response times, an MSA covers the broader terms of the business relationship.

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Centralized Procurement

What is centralized procurement in SaaS?


Centralized SaaS procurement is a model in which all software purchasing decisions are made or approved by a single department, often either IT, procurement or finance. By having a streamlined process for purchasing and renewing software solutions, organizations can ensure they have total visibility of their SaaS apps, prevent wasted spend and maximize purchasing power.

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Cloud Unit Economics

What is cloud unit economics?


By definition, cloud unit economics refers to the financial analysis and evaluation of both the costs and revenue associated with operating a cloud-based business.


In other words, it’s a way of looking at how much it costs to run your business on the cloud, as well as how much it brings in.

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Enterprise License Agreement (ELA)

What is an ELA?


An Enterprise License Agreement (ELA) is a contract between a software vendor and an enterprise customer that sets out the terms and conditions for the licensing of software products across an enterprise. Unlike a Master License Agreement (MLA) which is a more comprehensive business agreement that can cover a range of products and services, an ELA is often used for specific software products.


While the specific terms and conditions of an ELA can vary, it will typically outline the number and type of licenses covered under the agreement, restrictions or limitation on usage, the duration of the agreement, the fees associated with the license, renewal terms and termination clauses.

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Auto-Scaling

What is auto-scaling?


Auto-scaling refers to the automatic adjustment of cloud computing resources based on an organization’s current demand and workload. It dynamically adjusts the allocation of resources to match the evolving requirements of an application or system without the need for manual intervention.


There are a number of benefits to using auto-scaling, the first being cost efficiency. By ensuring that resources are scaled up or down as and when needed, organizations can avoid over-provisioning and subsequently reduce unnecessary expenses. It also helps maintain consistent performance levels by automatically adding resources during peak demand periods.

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