What exactly is Cloud Computing?”

Basically, cloud computing is an on-demand computing  service that you can avail over the Internet to host and run your  applications. The “cloud” in cloud computing simply refers to the  underlying network or servers that run your web applications, database,  and many others. Of course, the term “cloud” does not allude to that  white, puffy, and cotton-looking thing in the sky. The physical servers  are not hovering above the troposphere either. These servers are  actually hosted on data centers around the world and possibly could be  situated in one of the buildings in the city that you live in.

In  the past, before you could launch a website or an enterprise  application, you needed to procure and set up your own physical servers  first to deploy your applications. You are also responsible for  managing, patching, and troubleshooting your servers and network  devices. The problem here is that it takes a lot of time, effort and  money just to make your solutions available online.

But with cloud computing,  all you need to do is avail of the computing services over the Internet  and the cloud service provider will be responsible for managing the  underlying infrastructure that runs your websites. It’s like you are  ‘renting’ a server and after you are done using it, you have the option  to end your subscription to stop accumulating unnecessary costs. This  empowers you, as well other businesses, to focus on building solutions  rather than spending a lot of time setting up and managing servers.

Cloud Computing provides a plethora of helpful services that small and big companies  can leverage on. Its services include domain registration, Internet of  Things (IoT), data analytics, machine learning, gaming, mobile  development, Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS), quantum computing and many  more. This is why there are so many companies and even startups  leveraging its power to launch their products faster, save on operating  costs, and scale globally with ease.

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

             Full  control of your infrastructure without the maintenance and operating  costs of the servers. IaaS provides access to servers, storage,  networking, and operating systems.

• Platform as a Service (PaaS) 

            In  this model, you can focus on the deployment and management of your  applications. PaaS eliminates the need to manage the underlying  infrastructure.

• Software as a Service (SaaS)

            The software is ready to be used and operated by the service provider. SaaS is also known as end-user applications.