Cloud computing is the buzzword of the last years; meanwhile, it becomes more present in the product portfolios of IT service providers. A lot of newcomers emerge in the cloud market and established player extend their traditional IT business with cloud aspects. Based on a comprehensive literature analysis, a structured framework for cloud business models is synthetized. This framework is used to investigate and compare 29 successful business models in the cloud market. With the help of a cluster analysis, four common patterns of combination are identified for cloud business models. These clusters induce recommendations for action for IT service providers in the cloud market.
