For carriers just getting started with cloud computing, terms like “lift and shift,” “cloud native” and “cloud bursting” may be unfamiliar. Below, we define some common terms.

• Lift and shift is the practice of seamlessly taking a “real” server and transferring it over to the cloud. The application remains the same, while the infrastructure becomes cloud-based. The lifting is an analogy for lifting the server (the “box”) and shifting it to the cloud.
• Cloud native.A native cloud application (NCA) is a software application that is specifically built for cloud computing and virtualization environments. Native cloud applications are designed, developed and deployed in such a way that they reap the maximum functionality and services of a cloud computing and virtualization infrastructure.
• Self-service provisioning allows end users to set up and use computing infrastructure, applications and services in a cloud computing environment without the direct intervention of an IT organization or a service provider.
• Reprovisioning is a term used to demonstrate the extreme agility of cloud computing—the ability to cope with large “bursts” of a need for computing power by (re)provisioning a resource such as a CPU, for example.
• Cloud provisioning refers to the processes for the deployment and integration of cloud computing services within an enterprise IT infrastructure. This is a broad term that incorporates the policies, procedures and objectives of an enterprise in sourcing cloud services and solutions from a cloud service provider.
• Cloud bursting refers to the solution a cloud would provide whenever there is a need to cope with large demand of power. If the application runs in a private cloud or data center, it can burst into a public cloud when the demand for computing capacity spikes. Cloud bursting provides a seamless, easy and rapid way to deal with unexpected demand of any sort.