Cloud computing is a pay-per-use model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable and reliable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal user effort or service provider interaction.

DOE is exploring the cloud concept with our federal partners to identify opportunities to provide better service at lower cost through cloud services.  The cloud model comprises five key characteristics, three delivery models, and four deployment models.
 
The key characteristics are:

• On-Demand Self-Service
• Universal Network Access 
• Pooled Cloud Provider Resources
• Rapid Flexibility
• Pay Per Use

The delivery models are: 

• Infrastructure-As-A-Service
• Platform-As-A-Service
• Software-As-A-Service

The deployment models are:

• Private Cloud
• Community Cloud
• Public Cloud
• Hybrid Cloud

The DOE National Laboratories are exploring the use of cloud services for scientific computing.  We are also developing the high-bandwidth networking to transport the high volumes of data between DOE and cloud service providers required by scientific computing.

Several labs are exploring new collaborative social networking systems for communication with the public, for example Twitter (headlines with links), YouTube channel (video), and Flickr (photos) as distribution channels for news items.

The National Laboratories are also exploring hybrid solutions which would give them the ability to maintain control over the user authorization process while using cloud services such as email, calendaring and collaboration tools for instances which require strong authentication of service users.