This book introduces technology and business professionals to IBM's cloud-computing product offerings, including IBM PureApplication System, Bluemix, and SoftLayer. IT professionals and decision makers will learn concepts they need to prepare them to develop, deploy, and manage business applications in an IBM cloud environment. The primer teaches novice to intermediate users how to work with private, public, and hybrid clouds; employ cloud software patterns; and architect and orchestrate cloud topologies. This book is particularly geared toward people working in IT organizations that are ready to implement cloud solutions or are considering adopting the cloud platform. The core cloud topics - development, deployment, provisioning, operations, monitoring, self-service, and APIs - are discussed with hands-on, real-world examples. No other cloud book covers the spectrum of topics that truly show Platform as a Service (PaaS) as a viable and cost-effective option. You'll learn the essence of the cloud platform: rapid deployment of enterprise-level software in a secure environment.