Cloud computing

Definition

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing resources such as servers, storage, databases, software, and networking over the internet. Instead of owning and maintaining physical infrastructure, businesses access these resources on demand from cloud providers. This model enables flexibility, scalability, and cost savings compared to traditional IT setups.

Cloud computing is used for a wide range of needs, including data storage, software delivery, analytics, and infrastructure hosting. It supports pay-as-you-go pricing, allowing businesses to scale usage up or down as required.

Advanced

At an advanced level, cloud computing is categorised into service models. Infrastructure as a Service provides virtualised hardware resources. Platform as a Service delivers managed environments for building and deploying applications. Software as a Service provides complete applications delivered through a browser or mobile app.

Cloud computing can also be deployed as public, private, or hybrid models depending on business needs. Advanced features include serverless computing, container orchestration, distributed storage, and global load balancing to optimise performance and resilience.

Why it matters

• Reduces capital expenses for hardware and maintenance.
• Scales infrastructure globally with minimal overhead.
• Provides business continuity through disaster recovery and backups.
• Supports innovation by giving teams rapid access to resources.

Use cases

• Hosting websites and applications on cloud infrastructure.
• Running SaaS tools for productivity and collaboration.
• Managing big data and analytics workloads.
• Supporting AI, machine learning, and IoT platforms.

Metrics

• Uptime and service-level agreement compliance.
• Latency and network performance across regions.
• Cost efficiency compared to on-premise infrastructure.
• Usage metrics such as compute hours, storage, and bandwidth.

Issues

• Vendor lock-in can limit flexibility between providers.
• Data privacy and compliance risks in regulated industries.
• Costs can rise unexpectedly without monitoring usage.
• Security responsibilities are shared between provider and business.

Example

A media company migrates its video platform to Google Cloud. The company stores content in distributed storage, uses cloud servers to handle streaming, and scales resources automatically during high traffic events. This improves performance while reducing infrastructure costs.