Cloud-computing terms

As cloud computing evolves, the consistent use of its terminology across Microsoft content presents a clear story to customers.

This section covers common cloud-computing terms.

For more information about creating new terms or using emerging terminology, see Use technical terms carefully.

Term Usage
as a service (-aaS) Use only as a service (-aaS) terms included in this term list.

Don’t create new as a service terms or -aaS acronyms. Instead, describe the service and what it provides the customer.
cloud, the cloud Don't capitalize cloud except in references to the Microsoft Cloud or when it's part of a product name.

Use cloud mostly as an adjective. Use sparingly as a noun—instead of the cloud, talk about cloud computing, cloud services, or a specific service or functionality and what the customer can do with it.
cloud bursting, cloud-bursting It’s OK to use cloud bursting for technical audiences to mean when a private cloud taps into additional resources on the public cloud to meet a spike in demand. Define on the first mention.

Hyphenate cloud-bursting as an adjective preceding a noun, as in cloud-bursting configuration.
cloud computing, cloud platform, cloud services Use cloud computing, not the cloud, to refer generally to the delivery of computing services over the internet.

Use cloud platform only in content for a technical audience, such as content about Azure.

Use cloud services to refer to the services provided via the cloud—such as servers, storage, databases, and software.

All terms are two words and lowercase.
cloud native, cloud-native In content for a technical audience, it’s OK to use cloud native to describe technologies that are built originally for the cloud and therefore optimized for cloud scale and performance.

Lowercase. Hyphenate cloud-native as an adjective preceding a noun, as in cloud-native app. Don’t hyphenate in other instances.

Don’t use born in the cloud, cloud-born, or similar phrases.
cloud OS Don’t use. Use platform as a service (PaaS) instead.
community cloud Never use. Use hybrid cloud, private cloud, or hosted private cloud instead.
content delivery network Lowercase when referring in general to a distributed network of servers that deliver web content. Always spell out; don’t use CDN.
cross-tenant Hyphenate in all positions.
edge, edge computing It’s OK to use these terms to refer to computing that shifts most data processing from a centralized system closer to a device or system that requires data quickly. Include short definitions of the edge and edge computing unless you’re sure your audience is familiar with the terms.

Lowercase.

Use at the edge—not on the edge—in references to edge computing.
elastic computing, elastic cloud computing In general, avoid using these terms and instead talk about what the customer can do with this technology.

If your meaning is unclear without the terms, it’s OK to use them to talk about the use of cloud computing to quickly expand or decrease computer processing, memory, and storage resources to meet changing demands. Use elastic cloud computing when you need to clarify that cloud services are used.

Define these terms on the first mention unless you’re sure that your audience is familiar with them.
hosted service Use this term to describe a service, an IT solution, or an application that's hosted by a service provider and made available to customers over the internet.
hosting provider, hoster It's OK to use cloud hosting provider and web hosting provider if you need to distinguish cloud service providers from web hosts. Don't use hoster.
hybrid cloud OK to use for technical audiences who are comfortable with cloud technology, but define on the first mention. For other audiences, just talk about a hybrid model.
infrastructure as a service (IaaS) Use for technical audiences only.

It’s OK to use IaaS after the term has been spelled out on the first mention with the abbreviated form in parentheses.

Don't capitalize as IAAS.

Don't hyphenate as a modifier.
IT as a service (ITaaS) Use for technical or business-decision-maker audiences only.

In content for a general audience, refer to the specific type of service, such as applying software updates, in a cloud-computing model.

It’s OK to use ITaaS after the term has been spelled out on the first mention with the abbreviated form in parentheses.

Don't capitalize as ITAAS.

Don't hyphenate as a modifier.
the Microsoft Cloud Use this term to describe the entire Microsoft cloud platform—not just Azure, but also the cloud on which all Microsoft cloud offerings run, including Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power Platform, and Microsoft 365.

When used in this meaning, Microsoft Cloud is capitalized.

Include the article (the) before Microsoft Cloud.

It’s OK to add a modifier between the and Microsoft Cloud—for example, “the trusted Microsoft Cloud.”
multicloud It's OK to use multicloud in content for technical audiences to refer to the use of multiple cloud-computing services from more than one cloud provider (including private and public clouds), in a heterogeneous environment.

One word, no hyphen.
multitenant, multitenancy It's OK to use these terms in content for a technical audience, but in content for a general audience, try to use friendlier language—for example, say services used by multiple tenants rather than multitenant services.

One word, no hyphen.
on-premises, off-premises Hyphenate in all positions.

Premises is plural. Don't use on-premise, off-premise.

Don't use on-premises cloud or off-premises cloud.
platform as a service (PaaS) Use for technical audiences only.

It’s OK to use PaaS after the term has been spelled out on the first mention with the abbreviated form in parentheses.

Don't capitalize as PAAS.

Don't hyphenate as a modifier.
private cloud, hosted private cloud Define these terms on the first mention.
serverless One word, no hyphen.
software as a service (SaaS) It’s OK to use SaaS after the term has been spelled out on the first mention with the abbreviated form in parentheses.

Don't capitalize as SAAS.

Don't hyphenate as a modifier.