Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet ("the cloud") to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale. You typically pay only for cloud services you use, helping you lower your operating costs, run your infrastructure more efficiently, and scale as your business needs change.

Key Characteristics of Cloud Computing

  • On-Demand Self-Service: A consumer can provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, as needed automatically without requiring human interaction with each service provider.
  • Broad Network Access: Capabilities are available over the network and can be accessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneous thin or thick client platforms.
  • Resource Pooling: The provider’s computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to consumer demand.
  • Rapid Elasticity: Capabilities can be rapidly and elastically provisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out and rapidly release to meet fluctuating demand.
  • Measured Service: Cloud systems automatically control and optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability, for example, monitoring resource usage and controlling access through policies established by administrators.

Types of Cloud Services

  • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Provides virtualized computing resources over the Internet. Examples include virtual machines, storage, and networking.
  • Platform as a Service (PaaS): Delivers a platform allowing customers to develop, run, and manage applications without the complexity of building and maintaining the infrastructure typically associated with developing and launching an app.
  • Software as a Service (SaaS): Provides access to software applications over the Internet. Users do not manage the underlying cloud infrastructure and platform on which the applications run.

Cloud Computing Architecture

For more information on cloud computing and its architecture, you can read our detailed Cloud Computing Tutorial.

Benefits of Cloud Computing

  • Cost-Effective: Reduces IT costs by eliminating the need for on-premises hardware and software.
  • Scalability: Offers the ability to scale resources up or down based on demand.
  • Flexibility: Provides access to a wide range of services and applications.
  • Reliability: Offers high availability and disaster recovery capabilities.

Conclusion

Cloud computing is revolutionizing the way businesses operate. By leveraging the cloud, companies can achieve greater efficiency, agility, and cost savings.