Cloud computing is the web's on-demand availability of computing power and computer hardware, especially dedicated data storage and processing power, without direct user management. Large cloud networks often have numerous functions deployed across multiple geographic locations, each geographic location being an independent data center. 

Data is normally stored in servers that are connected through the Internet and may be accessed from any internet-connected computer. The primary benefit of using cloud computing services is cost reduction and convenience. While it may not be as convenient as on-site computer systems, it offers users greater control over their applications and websites.

In recent years, cloud computing has seen rapid growth and expansion. Companies such as Sun Microsystems, IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Salesforce have created or expanded their own cloud services.

Cloud Services 

Private cloud service providers, or PaaS, allow companies to run their applications in the cloud environment on their own hardware and operating system, eliminating the need for expensive and space-consuming virtual machines. With many cloud computing providers, customers have access to a full range of tools and services, while maintaining complete control over their data centers.

Businesses have different uses for cloud computing. Public cloud computing refers to providing public cloud computing services to the community. Examples of this are Google's public cloud and infrastructure for YouTube. Examples of private cloud computing include data centers that host software applications for companies like Amazon and Sun.

A cloud computing service can have one of three forms: infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), application-as-a-service (AaaS) and platform-as-a-service (PaaS). IaaS is the most familiar form, providing users with software and other resources as needed by the customer. 

A typical "instant application" is an online newsletter sent from a user's desktop. Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) is a series of software development kits that allow users to develop applications quickly and at a lower cost than it would be possible without a dedicated development team.

Cloud Infrastructure

Cloud infrastructure is comprised of servers, networks, storage, processing and networking equipment. These components are located on the infrastructure of a cloud provider and are separated from the user's computer. An example of a cloud computing service is Gmail, which serves content and information from a server, while the rest of the mail and data is stored on a local storage device.

A recent study estimated that about one in four emails is being saved on a third party server rather than on a user's computer. While many businesses may not see a need for all of their emails to be stored on third party servers, it is important to understand why it is necessary to have an email infrastructure. Get details knowledge about azure cloud automation here.

Users of cloud computing applications are able to determine what resources they need by accessing and managing a service's virtual infrastructure. This includes controlling the infrastructure, accessing data, configuring services, and so forth. The most popular type of cloud computing service is software-as-a-service (SaaS). Some of the more common SaaS applications include business process platforms like Microsoft Office, Salesforce, and IBM Lotus Notes. In order for an organization to effectively use SaaS, it requires at least two dedicated servers with at least two physical computers for each client.

Two primary examples of SaaS cloud services are Microsoft Office and Salesforce. Both of these examples provide back-office capabilities that are vital for organizations. These capabilities include analytics for customer transactions, appointment reminders, and contact integration with Microsoft Outlook. Both of these examples utilize the open source platform called OpenStack.

Final Words

Although cloud computing appears to be new and relatively exotic, there are in fact many well-established companies that have long been using cloud services. Examples of well-known and long-established cloud computing companies include Hewlett Packard, Sun Microsystems, IBM, and Salesforce. These companies provide the backbone for what we know today as SaaS.