Cloud services
Cloud services are on-demand IT resources—including infrastructure, storage, databases, and software—delivered over the internet on a pay-as-you-go basis. Hosted by third-party providers, these services eliminate the need for organizations to manage in-house hardware, providing scalable, flexible, and secure access to technologies like cloud-native applications, AI, and analytics.
Key Cloud Service Models (XaaS)
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Provides virtualized computing resources (servers, networking, storage). Examples: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud.
- Platform as a Service (PaaS): Offers a platform for developers to build, test, and manage applications without managing underlying infrastructure. Examples: Google App Engine, AWS Elastic Beanstalk.
- Software as a Service (SaaS): Delivers fully managed, ready-to-use software applications via a web browser. Examples: Salesforce, Microsoft Office 365, Dropbox.
- Serverless Computing (FaaS): Allows developers to run code for applications without managing infrastructure.
Main Cloud Deployment Models
- Public Cloud: Services delivered over the public internet to multiple organizations.
- Private Cloud: Services provided on a private network for a single organization.
- Hybrid Cloud: A combination of public and private clouds.