Cloud computing

Cloud computing (en-US)

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—such as servers, storage, databases, networking, software, and analytics—over the internet (“the cloud”). Instead of owning and maintaining physical hardware, users can access resources on demand from a provider, typically paying for what they use. Common service models include: - IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): virtual servers, storage, and networks. - PaaS (Platform as a Service): managed platforms for building and running applications. - SaaS (Software as a Service): ready-to-use applications accessed via a web browser or API. Key benefits often include scalability (quickly increasing or decreasing capacity), cost efficiency (reduced upfront hardware costs), reliability (redundant infrastructure), and faster deployment (self-service provisioning). Organizations also use cloud services for backup, disaster recovery, collaboration, and data processing. Important considerations include data privacy and security, compliance requirements, vendor reliability, network latency, and cost management (e.g., monitoring usage to avoid unexpected charges).