Cloud computing refers to the access and utilization of computing resources over the internet, offering on-demand provisioning and scaling without the need for physical infrastructure management, following a pay-as-you-go model.
AWS's Definition:
Cloud computing is the on-demand delivery of IT resources over the Internet with pay-as-you-go pricing. Instead of buying, owning, and maintaining physical data centers and servers, you can access technology services, such as computing power, storage, and databases, on an as-needed basis from a cloud provider like Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Agility: Cloud provides easy access to various technologies, enabling faster innovation and deployment of services like IoT, machine learning, and analytics, allowing for quick experimentation and business transformation.
Elasticity: Resources can be scaled up or down instantly, avoiding over-provisioning and allowing for efficient handling of changing business needs.
Cost Savings: Cloud offers variable expenses, eliminating the need for fixed investments in infrastructure, resulting in lower costs due to economies of scale.
Global Deployment: Cloud services like AWS allow for rapid global deployment, enabling applications to be deployed in multiple regions with minimal effort, reducing latency and enhancing user experience.
Pay-as-you-go Pricing: With cloud computing, organizations pay only for the resources they use, on a pay-as-you-go basis. This eliminates the need for large upfront investments and allows for better cost management.
Trade Capital Expense for Variable Expense (Capex vs Opex): Cloud computing enables organizations to shift from capital expenses (Capex) to operational expenses (Opex), providing greater flexibility and financial control.
Economy of Scale: Cloud providers benefit from massive economies of scale, allowing them to offer services at lower costs than individual organizations could achieve on their own.
Global Reach: Cloud services provide global reach, enabling businesses to reach customers and users anywhere in the world, without the need for costly infrastructure investments.
Go Global in Minutes: Cloud computing enables organizations to expand their global presence rapidly, with the ability to deploy applications and services in multiple regions within minutes.
Security: Cloud providers invest heavily in security measures to protect data and infrastructure, offering robust security features and compliance certifications to ensure data privacy and confidentiality.
Reliability: Cloud services are designed to be highly reliable, with redundant infrastructure and automated failover mechanisms to ensure continuous operation and minimal downtime.
High Availability: Cloud computing offers high availability, with SLAs guaranteeing uptime and availability levels for critical services and applications.
Scalability: Cloud services are inherently scalable, allowing organizations to easily adjust resource capacity to meet changing demands, whether it's scaling up during peak periods or scaling down during off-peak times.
Benefit from Massive Economies of Scale: By leveraging the resources of large cloud providers, organizations can benefit from massive economies of scale, accessing advanced technologies and services at a fraction of the cost of building and maintaining them in-house.
Last edited by nana on Wed Apr 24, 2024 10:06 am, edited 2 times in total.
On-Premise:
- Self-managed onsite IT infrastructure.
- High control and customization.
- Upfront investment in hardware.
- Limited scalability and expansion.
Cloud:
- Outsourced IT infrastructure via the Internet.
- Pay-as-you-go model, no upfront investment.
- Scalable and flexible resource allocation.
- Global accessibility and built-in redundancy.
Example: Cloud services tailored for specific industries or sectors.
Cross-Cloud: Integration and management of multiple cloud services from different providers, enabling seamless operations and data exchange across platforms.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud, offering over 200 fully featured services from data centers globally. Millions of customers—including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies—are using AWS to lower costs, become more agile, and innovate faster.
A Cloud Service Provider (CSP) is a company that offers various cloud computing services and solutions to individuals, businesses, and organizations. These providers maintain and manage the underlying infrastructure and offer services such as computing power, storage, networking, databases, software applications, and more, delivered over the Internet.