Each term includes:
- Definition
- Plain English
- 💡 ELI5
- 📦 OceanSpan Example
- 📊 Business Implications (people, payroll, ops, ROI)
1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
- Plain English: Rent computing power and storage from cloud providers like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
- 💡 ELI5: Like leasing a truck fleet instead of buying it — flexible and cheaper long-term.
- 📦 OceanSpan: Moves legacy systems (inventory, ERP, routing software) to IaaS.
- 📊 Business Implications:
- Hiring: Fewer sysadmins needed; focus shifts to cloud architects.
- Payroll: Smaller infra team, lower headcount.
- Ops Lifecycle: Systems scale with demand — no overprovisioning.
- Bottom Line: ↓ CapEx, ↓ downtime, ↑ reliability.
2. Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- Plain English: Cloud-hosted environments where developers can quickly build and run applications.
- 💡 ELI5: Like renting a kitchen that’s already prepped — you just cook.
- 📦 OceanSpan: Builds a real-time delivery app and logistics dashboard in weeks.
- 📊 Business Implications:
- Hiring: Hire full-stack devs, not IT admins.
- Payroll: Dev team more productive; fewer delays = fewer overtime hours.
- Ops Lifecycle: Faster dev-test-deploy cycles.
- Bottom Line: ↓ Time-to-market, ↑ innovation velocity.
3. Software as a Service (SaaS)
- Plain English: Subscribe to apps like Salesforce, Slack, QuickBooks.
- 💡 ELI5: Like using Spotify instead of buying albums.
- 📦 OceanSpan: Uses SaaS for payroll, tax compliance, CRM.
- 📊 Business Implications:
- Hiring: No in-house dev needed for HR/payroll.
- Payroll: Predictable subscription costs.
- Ops Lifecycle: Tools stay updated automatically.
- Bottom Line: ↓ Support costs, ↑ employee productivity.
4. Serverless Computing
- Plain English: Run code on-demand without paying for idle servers.
- 💡 ELI5: Like only paying for a taxi when you’re actually riding it.
- 📦 OceanSpan: Sends customer SMS alerts only when shipment status changes.
- 📊 Business Implications:
- Hiring: Leaner backend team.
- Payroll: Pay only for usage — no wasted infra costs.
- Ops Lifecycle: Ultra-fast deployment; no patching servers.
- Bottom Line: ↓ idle compute cost, ↑ system agility.
5. Cloud Storage
- Plain English: Store all your files and databases online, securely and durably.
- 💡 ELI5: Like a Dropbox for your entire company — always backed up.
- 📦 OceanSpan: Stores years of manifests, delivery logs, and tax docs.
- 📊 Business Implications:
- Hiring: No data center staff needed.
- Payroll: Minimal cost per GB — scales with business.
- Ops Lifecycle: Faster disaster recovery, better compliance.
- Bottom Line: ↓ data loss risk, ↑ regulatory readiness.
6. Data Lakes & Warehouses
- Plain English: Unified storage for all business data, enabling analysis and reporting.
- 💡 ELI5: Like a giant warehouse full of labeled filing cabinets you can search instantly.
- 📦 OceanSpan: Centralizes delivery, weather, and route data for analytics.
- 📊 Business Implications:
- Hiring: Shift toward data analysts, not spreadsheet jockeys.
- Payroll: Reduces redundant reporting roles.
- Ops Lifecycle: Data-driven decision-making.
- Bottom Line: ↑ forecasting accuracy, ↑ asset utilization.
7. Machine Learning & AI
- Plain English: Use data to predict outcomes and automate decisions.
- 💡 ELI5: Like a self-improving robot that suggests the best shipping routes.
- 📦 OceanSpan: Predicts weather disruptions, reroutes fleets automatically.
- 📊 Business Implications:
- Hiring: Need fewer dispatchers, more data engineers.
- Payroll: Replaces some decision roles with automation.
- Ops Lifecycle: From reactive to predictive operations.
- Bottom Line: ↓ missed shipments, ↑ customer satisfaction.
8. DevOps & CI/CD
- Plain English: Automate software testing and deployment to move faster and safer.
- 💡 ELI5: Like a robotic assembly line for shipping code updates.
- 📦 OceanSpan: Deploys new features to logistics app weekly.
- 📊 Business Implications:
- Hiring: Leaner dev teams; invest in DevOps skills.
- Payroll: ↓ bug-fix hours, ↓ downtime.
- Ops Lifecycle: Continuous improvement.
- Bottom Line: ↑ innovation speed, ↓ app errors.
9. APIs & Microservices
- Plain English: Build modular apps where components talk to each other via APIs.
- 💡 ELI5: Like LEGO pieces that can be swapped or upgraded.
- 📦 OceanSpan: Links billing, inventory, and delivery with clean interfaces.
- 📊 Business Implications:
- Hiring: Build with smaller, cross-functional teams.
- Payroll: Modular code = faster feature dev = fewer hours.
- Ops Lifecycle: Easier to test, debug, scale.
- Bottom Line: ↑ flexibility, ↓ technical debt.
10. Cloud Security & Compliance
- Plain English: Tools to protect data and meet regulatory standards.
- 💡 ELI5: Like hiring a digital security guard and auditor.
- 📦 OceanSpan: Automates GDPR logging, encrypts PII.
- 📊 Business Implications:
- Hiring: Need fewer manual auditors.
- Payroll: Reduces legal support costs.
- Ops Lifecycle: Security is embedded, not reactive.
- Bottom Line: ↓ risk exposure, ↑ customer trust.
11. Telemetry & Monitoring
- Plain English: Real-time tracking of systems for performance and issues.
- 💡 ELI5: Like a dashboard warning light for your servers.
- 📦 OceanSpan: Monitors fleet health and app performance.
- 📊 Business Implications:
- Hiring: Fewer fire-fighting ops roles.
- Payroll: Less time fixing unknown bugs.
- Ops Lifecycle: From break-fix to proactive management.
- Bottom Line: ↓ outages, ↑ uptime, ↑ NPS.
12. Data Analytics & Dashboards
- Plain English: Visual tools to understand and act on your business data.
- 💡 ELI5: Like a GPS for your business performance.
- 📦 OceanSpan: Uses dashboards to track KPIs like delivery time, customer churn.
- 📊 Business Implications:
- Hiring: Upskill managers to use dashboards.
- Payroll: Reduces reporting labor.
- Ops Lifecycle: Real-time insight = better daily decisions.
- Bottom Line: ↑ efficiency, ↓ poor judgment calls.
