Ready Expanded Phase 8: Industry Common Terminology

📌 Introduction to Industry Common Terminology

To effectively sell Vultr’s cloud computing solutions, you must understand the key industry terminology used by IT professionals, developers, and decision-makers. Cloud computing is a technical field, and being able to speak the language will help you gain credibility, communicate effectively with prospects, and handle objections with confidence.

This phase introduces essential cloud computing and hosting terms that are frequently used in conversations about infrastructure, networking, storage, security, and cloud services.

📌 Cloud Computing Basics

Cloud Computing

  • The delivery of computing services (servers, storage, networking, databases, software) over the internet instead of on-premise infrastructure.
  • Why it matters: Businesses no longer need to buy and maintain physical servers.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

  • A cloud computing model where businesses rent virtual machines, storage, and networking resources.
  • Example: Vultr provides IaaS with compute instances and cloud storage.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

  • A cloud service model that provides development tools, operating systems, and runtime environments for app development.
  • Example: Google App Engine, AWS Elastic Beanstalk.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

  • Cloud-based software that users access via a web browser instead of installing it locally.
  • Example: Salesforce, Google Workspace, Dropbox.

📌 Compute & Storage Terminology

Virtual Machine (VM)

  • A software-based computer that runs applications and operating systems like a physical machine.
  • Example: Vultr’s Compute Instances provide VMs for cloud workloads.

Bare Metal Server

  • A physical, dedicated server with no virtualization, offering full hardware performance.
  • Why it matters: Used for high-performance applications like gaming servers and AI workloads.

Cloud GPU

  • A graphics processing unit (GPU) in the cloud for machine learning, AI, and high-performance computing.
  • Example: Vultr’s Cloud GPU for deep learning applications.

Object Storage

  • A scalable cloud storage solution that organizes data as objects instead of file hierarchies.
  • Why it matters: Ideal for storing backups, media files, and logs.

Block Storage

  • Storage that provides low-latency, high-performance disk volumes for VMs and databases.
  • Example: Vultr Block Storage is used for database hosting.

📌 Networking & Security Terms

Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)

  • A private, isolated network within a cloud provider’s infrastructure.
  • Why it matters: Businesses use VPCs to create secure cloud environments.

Load Balancer

  • A service that distributes traffic across multiple servers to prevent downtime and ensure high availability.
  • Why it matters: Improves application performance and reliability.

Firewall

  • A security system that controls incoming and outgoing network traffic.
  • Why it matters: Protects cloud environments from cyber threats.

DDoS Protection

  • A service that prevents Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, which overload a website with traffic.
  • Example: Vultr’s DDoS protection prevents attacks on cloud servers.

📌 Scalability & Performance Concepts

Auto-Scaling

  • A cloud feature that automatically adjusts resources based on demand.
  • Example: AWS Auto Scaling dynamically increases or decreases instances.

High Availability (HA)

  • A redundant infrastructure setup that ensures minimal downtime and service reliability.
  • Example: Cloud providers use multiple data centers for HA.

Latency

  • The delay in data transmission between the user and the server.
  • Why it matters: Low-latency cloud solutions improve website and application performance.

📌 Cost & Pricing Terms

Pay-as-You-Go Pricing

  • A cloud pricing model where users pay only for what they use, rather than fixed contracts.
  • Example: Vultr’s per-hour and per-month billing options.

Reserved Instances

  • A pricing model where businesses commit to using cloud resources for a fixed period (1-3 years) in exchange for discounts.
  • Example: AWS Reserved Instances offer long-term savings but require upfront commitments.

Egress Fees

  • The cost of moving data out of a cloud provider’s network.
  • Why it matters: AWS and Google Cloud charge high egress fees, while Vultr has transparent pricing.

Data Transfer Costs

  • The fees associated with moving data between cloud resources or across regions.
  • Example: Some providers charge extra for inter-region data movement.

quiz – 8 industry common terminology