Setting the record straight on crazy cloud computing ideas

Despite what some IT pros think, private cloud computing is not just virtualization. However, companies that adhere to this falsehood are not alone. A 2013 Forrester study showed that nearly 70% of what IT admins call private clouds are not.

To build a private cloud, you must create a cloud that has five characteristics: on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity and measured service. It's important to see this difference between cloud and virtualization, or you are setting up your company -- and any clients -- with unrealistic expectations.