Clouds at the application platform layer will be the new hardware.

(……)应用平台层的云会成为新的硬件。

youdao

The real carrot is the managed services and software on top of a Cloud platform and application layer.

FORBES: Rackspace: Bull and Bear Cases

In hybrid form, a private cloud can include data stored on premise or off, with a private Platform-as-a-Service middleware layer managing application data and enforcing data security.

FORBES: The Data Protection And Security Case For Private Clouds