Understanding Cloud Computing

Hosting services over the Internet is the main thing cloud computing is about. The cloud symbol that illustrates the Internet by way of diagrams and charts is where the name cloud computing originated from.

Basically, these services fall into three categories: Software-as-a-Service, Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service. A cloud service is different from traditional hosting. It can be sold by the hour or minute. A user can buy the amount of service they want. The customer only needs a personal computer and access to the Internet; the service is managed completely by the provider. Interest in cloud computing is due to important introductions in virtualization and improved access to high-speed Internet.

If the cloud is public it sells services to anyone on the Internet. For example, Amazon Web Services is a huge public cloud provider. A private cloud provides hosted services to a limited amount of people. A virtual private network is the result of a service provider using a public cloud to create their private cloud. Whether the cloud is private or public, cloud computing provides access to computing and information technology services.

Infrastructure-as-a-Service like Amazon Web Services provides virtual server instance to start, attain and assemble their virtual servers. Platform-as-a-Service in the cloud is a set of software tools hosted by the provider. In the software-as-a-service cloud model, the vendor provides the hardware and the software product and acts with the user.

Cloud computing brings applications, storage services and spam filtering. Cloud computing is a way to add features or capabilities without purchasing a lot of new computer equipment, training new staff or buying licenses for new software.