What is Cloud Computing?
Overview
Cloud Computing is a method of utilizing on-demand computer services via the internet. There is no need to maintain physical servers; instead, service providers, such as Amazon Web Service (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform, provide users with necessary storage, databases, networking, and software.
There are three types of Cloud Computing services
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Users, companies, and businesses can use IaaS for storage and networking. It is cost-effective because there is no need for on-premise physical servers. Moreover, the service is flexible, scalable, and instantaneously accessible by users.
Examples:
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Rackspace
2. Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Developers and software engineers can use online tools and software through Cloud Computing. This saves developers the hassle of setting up the environment and lets them focus on getting the actual application up and running. Plus, it saves a lot of time and money.
Examples:
- Windows Azure
- Google App Engine
3. Software as a Service (SaaS)
Companies can use data centers to deploy applications on third-party online servers and provide real-time access to their users/customers through the internet. Since it is online, the software can be accessed anytime and anywhere. One key advantage of using cloud service to deploy an application is that it makes it easy to scale globally since you there’s no need to have physical servers at a particular location.
Examples:
- Dropbox
- Slack
