What Is the Cloud?
The cloud is a term used to describe the use of remote servers hosted on the internet to store, manage and process data. It allows users to access their files from any device with an internet connection, eliminating the need for physical storage devices such as hard drives or USB sticks. The cloud also provides businesses with scalability and flexibility in terms of computing power, allowing them to quickly increase or decrease resources depending on their needs.
Cloud services are provided by companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). These providers offer various types of services including Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a Service (SaaS). IaaS offers virtual machines that can be used for hosting websites or applications while PaaS provides development tools such as databases, web servers and application frameworks. SaaS solutions provide software applications that can be accessed over the internet without having to install anything locally.