Cloud solutions, also known as cloud computing or cloud services, deliver IT resources on demand over the Internet. Cloud service providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform can deliver everything from applications to data centers on a pay-for-use basis to their subscribers. With cloud solutions, IT resources can scale up or down quickly to meet business demands.
Cloud solutions enable rapid access to flexible and low-cost IT resources without large upfront investments in hardware or time-consuming installation and maintenance. Businesses can provision exactly the type and size of computing resources they need to power a new initiative or operate their IT departments more efficiently.
Most cloud solutions fall into three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). IaaS allows businesses to essentially rent their IT infrastructure from a cloud provider. PaaS supplies an on-demand environment for software development. SaaS delivers applications over the Internet. Businesses of all sizes use cloud solutions to reduce hardware, software, and IT maintenance costs.