# Cloud Computing: Why All the Confusion? Source: https://expedient.com/knowledgebase/blog/2013-02-11-cloud-computing-why-all-the-confusion/ [](#) # Cloud Computing: Why All the Confusion? February 11, 2013 2 min Read ## Cloud Computing: Do you really understand what it means? “Cloud computing” is everywhere and it is being used by everyone. From conversations taking place in the world of IT to musings being posted on Facebook, the term “the cloud” has managed to fuse itself into the American lexicon, firmly becoming an accepted part of our daily lives. But there is a catch: Despite its popularity, cloud computing continues to be one of the most misunderstood phrases used in our country today. At least that was what a recent survey conducted by [Wakefield Research](http://www.nbcnews.com/id/48832193/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/t/why-cloud-computing-hazy-many-americans/#.UQq_jr9EGnw) revealed. During the survey, when asked “what the cloud is,” the majority of respondents said that it is “ **_an actual cloud, the sky, or something related to weather_**.” And 51% of all respondents said that they believed that “stormy weather would interfere with their cloud computing.” In addition to not knowing what the cloud is, 1 in 5 Americans admitted that they’ve  **pretended** to know what the cloud is and how the cloud works. ### Why all the cloud computing confusion? The question becomes, “Why?” Why is the term, despite its popularity, creating so much confusion? Perhaps a great deal of the debate can be attributed to the many competing definitions. Because there is not one universally agreed upon definition, and because it means too many different things to too many different people, the result has been a lot of confusion about how the industry as a whole defines the cloud. #### For example, take a look at all the different ways we try to classify the cloud: - [Public Cloud](https://www.expedient.com/services/hyperscale-ctrl/ "Public") - [SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS](https://www.expedient.com/cloud-computing/infrastructure-as-a-services/ "Infrastructure as a Service") Each of the above terms was created to give more insight into various cloud computing solutions. Unfortunately, instead of clearing things up, the result seems to be more confusion. #### Your Roadmap to the Cloud If you have every faked your way through a conversation about the cloud, or if you would just like to broaden your understanding, Expedient can help. [**_Download our Roadmap to Cloud Computing_**](http://bit.ly/OLatZD) **_to learn more._** #### #### #### #### [ ![Brent Meadows](https://res.cloudinary.com/dvlpy3tua/image/upload/fl_sanitize/uploads/brent-meadows.jpg) Brent MeadowsSolutions Architect ](/knowledgebase/blog/authors/brent-meadows) [Cloud Computing](/knowledgebase/blog/tag/cloud%20computing) ### Related Posts [ #### The VMware Wait Tax: Why Every Quarter of Delay... Inaction on a VMware migration is widely treated as a neutral position, a de... Learn More ](/knowledgebase/blog/2026-08-04-the-vmware-wait-tax-why-every-quarter-of-delay-has-a-price-tag/)[ #### The Great Inversion What was easy is now hard. What was hard is now easy. {% include blog-key-... Learn More ](/knowledgebase/blog/2026-07-29-the-great-inversion/)[ #### Your New Cloud Strategy: Rebalancing for Cost a... {% include blog-key-takeaways.html items=page.key\_takeaways %} A few years a... Learn More ](/knowledgebase/blog/2026-07-15-your-new-cloud-strategy-rebalancing-for-cost-and-performance/) ## Subscribe to Our Blog VMware September 29th, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET ## It’s Time to Decide Your VMware Path [Join us →](https://go.expedient.com/VMWarePath) ### VMware September 29th, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET ## It’s Time to Decide Your VMware Path [Join us →](https://go.expedient.com/VMWarePath)