What is Cloud Washing?

Cloud Washing is a deceptive term. It is a misleading terminology used intentionally by a vendor. It is an effort of the vendor to re-brand an old product or service. The vendor does so by associating the phrase “Cloud” with it.

Why Cloud Washing is Done by Vendors?  

Any vendor can use this term “Cloud computing” who is delivering the vendor service to its clients over internet. Any component of service offered by the vendor, depending on internet to function, can be added by the vendor as a product with the label Cloud, and justify the label.

Cloud computing delivery system has become immensely popular among the users. The users are now demanding Cloud computing service, resulting in Cloud computing service to expand very fast. Now, the vendors are hoping to increase their business by presenting their hosting services by labeling them with Cloud features or Cloud functioning. 

Cloud Washing is also compared in some places as equivalent to Green Washing. Cloud washing is being popularized as re-branding of products and hosting services as Eco Friendly. These versions of hosting are marketed by vendors as services friendly to environment.

Here this term Wash refers to White wash an old product with coat of paints to make it appear and look as a new and fresh product. Cloud Washing is nothing but a marketing gimmick being practiced by vendors in order to increase their business. 

How to Avoid this Marketing Trend?

This term Cloud is now slapped on so many data storage marketing advertisements that it has become very difficult for a user to determine which one is a true Cloud package or which one is a vendor’s Cloud Washing outsourcing marketing gimmick.

The user must be well aware of Cloud washing signs to avoid it. If the user notices that the different users are running different, customized applications, and the vendor requests the user to purchase an additional Cloud server to run the vendor’s termed versions of Cloud, with complex pricing structure, the user should identify this service  as Cloud Washing and stay clear of it.