  Cloud computing is an emerging concept combining many fields of computing.
The foundation of cloud computing is the delivery of services, software and
processing capacity over the Internet, reducing cost, increasing storage,
automating systems, decoupling of service delivery from underlying technology,
and providing flexibility and mobility of information. However, the actual
realization of these benefits is far from being achieved for mobile
applications and open many new research questions. In order to better
understand how to facilitate the building of mobile cloud-based applications,
we have surveyed existing work in mobile computing through the prism of cloud
computing principles. We give a definition of mobile cloud coputing and provide
an overview of the results from this review, in particular, models of mobile
cloud applications. We also highlight research challenges in the area of mobile
cloud computing. We conclude with recommendations for how this better
understanding of mobile cloud computing can help building more powerful mobile
applications.
