Saas vs. “Cloud Based Service” [closed]

Question

Possible Duplicate:
What is Cloud vs. Saas vs. ASP?

What is the distinguishing factor(s) between these two

Cloud Based Service - You can come use our Cloud to store and manage your data SaaS - You can come use our Cloud application to store and manage your data

When do you call it Saas vs a Service provided to a client who has a specific processing need in mind and that processing need uses a SW application (several out there to choose from but the Cloud Provider has picked one specifically and the user can't change that)

In this case the SW app is not a cloud app - it does not make the cloud run, it does not link users to the systems, it is task specific. So is it always Saas if it is an application that "runs on the cloud". Or could it be considered a Computing service since customer can't choose the application used to perform the specific task

Answer 1

In my mind, the two terms are essentially synonymous, especially for the general user.

If you want to look for differences, "SaaS" probably connotes more of an "application" (e.g. a hosted web app such as Salesforce.com, Gmail, Basecamp, etc.); while "Cloud Based Service" is more generic, implying all of the above, as well as services like Dropbox, online backup systems, etc.