What is relevance?

Cloud computing is a way of delivering computing services-like storage, databases, servers, networking, software, and analytics-over the internet instead of using a personal computer or on‑premises hardware. Think of it as renting space and power from a remote data center that you can access from anywhere with an internet connection.

Let's break it down

  • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): You rent virtual machines, storage, and networks, just like renting a house with furniture you can arrange yourself.
  • Platform as a Service (PaaS): The provider gives you a ready‑made platform (operating system, runtime, middleware) so you can focus on building your apps without worrying about the underlying hardware.
  • Software as a Service (SaaS): You use complete applications (email, CRM, office tools) that run in the cloud, accessed through a web browser.
  • Public, Private, and Hybrid Clouds: Public clouds are shared among many users, private clouds are dedicated to one organization, and hybrid clouds combine both for flexibility.

Why does it matter?

  • Cost Savings: Pay only for what you use, avoiding large upfront hardware purchases.
  • Scalability: Quickly add or remove resources to match demand, preventing downtime or wasted capacity.
  • Accessibility: Work from any device with internet access, enabling remote and distributed teams.
  • Speed of Innovation: Developers can spin up environments instantly, test ideas faster, and release updates more often.

Where is it used?

  • Streaming services (Netflix, Spotify) store and deliver media from cloud servers.
  • E‑commerce sites (Amazon, Shopify) handle traffic spikes during sales using cloud scaling.
  • Business productivity tools (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365) are SaaS applications hosted in the cloud.
  • Mobile apps rely on cloud back‑ends for data storage, authentication, and analytics.
  • Scientific research uses cloud computing for large‑scale data analysis and simulations.

Good things about it

  • Flexibility: Choose the level of control you need (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS).
  • Reliability: Major cloud providers offer high‑availability architectures with built‑in redundancy.
  • Security updates: Providers handle patches and security hardening, reducing the burden on your team.
  • Global reach: Data centers around the world let you serve users with low latency.

Not-so-good things

  • Ongoing costs: While there are no big upfront fees, monthly bills can grow unexpectedly if resources aren’t monitored.
  • Vendor lock‑in: Moving applications or data to another provider can be complex and costly.
  • Internet dependency: If your connection drops, you lose access to cloud services.
  • Shared responsibility: Security is a joint effort; misconfigurations on your side can still lead to breaches.