Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services such as servers, storage, databases, networking, software, and analytics over the internet (“the cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale. Instead of owning physical data centers or servers, organizations can rent computing power and storage from a cloud service provider like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud.

**Types of Cloud Computing**

Cloud computing is categorized into three main types, based on how services are delivered and consumed:

1. **Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)**:
IaaS provides virtualized computing resources over the internet. It offers basic infrastructure like virtual machines, storage, and networking, allowing businesses to rent computing infrastructure instead of investing in physical hardware.

Examples: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Compute Engine.

2. **Platform as a Service (PaaS)**:
PaaS delivers a platform that allows developers to build, test, and deploy applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure. It provides pre-built frameworks, tools, and development environments, allowing companies to focus solely on application development.

Examples: Google App Engine, Microsoft Azure App Service, Heroku.