In our most recent article, we explored why "true cloud" really matters: it has a significant impact on: Your gross margins Your speed As a company providing technology services, as opposed to products like software, you cannot get cloud-scale gross margins and speed - and therefore valuations - unless you are operating as a true cloud. Today, we will look at a different set of advantages to running your service as a true cloud: how nimble you can be.

In our previous articles, we discussed what cloud is, the types of cloud services, and the difference between true cloud and "market cloud", or hosting. The big question is, so what? You are a software provider offering a cloud solution. Does it really matter if it is "true cloud", or just hosted? Isn't it just a difference in architectural design, a matter for your engineers but not your customers or your bottom line?