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In today's world, where most people are digitally oriented and advanced, the term "cloud computing" is commonly used. However, some people do not fully understand its meaning, while others have misconceptions about cloud computing.

Cloud computing in simple terms is renting your data storage, applications, and other computing services over the internet. Source

It is also the delivery of computing services—such as servers, databases, storage, networking, software, and analytics—over the internet, often referred to as "the cloud."

These digital technologies allow users to manage their products and businesses without the need for physical presence or hardware. This makes cloud computing appealing, as it simplifies and eases the handling of data and applications.

Whether you are streaming music or backing up your photos, you are using cloud computing in some form.

There are three key components that make up cloud computing:

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): This is the simplest and most accessible model. It includes virtual machines, which are software representations of physical computers. IaaS offers durable storage space where music, videos, and other data can be stored. It also provides networking capabilities that enable virtual machines, storage, load balancers, firewalls, etc. IaaS can scale resources based on current needs, making it cost-effective and affordable.

IaaS can be used for:

• Website hosting
• Development and testing
• Big data analysis
• Disaster recovery

Major IaaS Providers Include:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Microsoft Azure
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

• IBM Cloud
  Each of these platforms offers a wide range of IaaS products tailored to different business needs.

• Platform as a Service (PaaS): PaaS provides Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), making it easier for developers to write, test, and debug their code.

This model also includes middleware, which helps regulate communication between various applications, enabling them to work together seamlessly.

Database management is often involved in PaaS. While developers focus on application logic, the platform handles tasks such as backups, scaling, and updates. PaaS also scales applications to handle varying levels of demand, ensuring consistent performance.

Uses of Platform as a Service (PaaS):

• Developing web applications
• API development and management
• Business intelligence and analytics
• Internet of Things (IoT) applications

Major PaaS Providers Include:

• Google App Engine
• Microsoft Azure App Service
• Heroku
• IBM Cloud Foundry

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Software as a Service (SaaS) is a cloud computing model that makes software applications available over the internet. Unlike traditional software, which requires installation on individual devices, SaaS applications are hosted in the cloud and accessed through a web browser. This model has become extremely popular and user-friendly due to its convenience, cost-effectiveness, and scalability.

SaaS applications can be accessed through any device with an internet connection, making it easier and more convenient for users to work from anywhere at any time. This is particularly beneficial for remote teams and businesses with multiple locations.

One of the major advantages of SaaS is that updates and patches are automatically applied by the service provider, making the process easier and stress-free for users. SaaS users have immediate access to the latest features and security improvements without needing to manually install updates.

SaaS operates on a subscription model, where users pay fees—either monthly or annually—to access the software. This model eliminates the need for large upfront costs, such as purchasing software licenses.

SaaS platforms can easily scale to accommodate a large number of users or multiple workloads without requiring significant changes to the infrastructure. Its flexibility allows businesses of all sizes—whether sole proprietorships, partnerships, or corporations—to grow without worrying about IT constraints. Additionally, SaaS allows multiple customers to share the same infrastructure and applications without compromising each other's privacy.

Uses of SaaS:

• Productivity Tools
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
• E-commerce
• Human Resources Management (HRM)

Major SaaS Providers Include:

• Salesforce
• Microsoft 365
• Google Workspace
• Zoom Challenges and considerations in cloud computing

While cloud computing offers a lot of benefits to it's users such as efficiency, convenience and scalability, it also has some challenges and considerations that must be addressed so it's potential can be fully leverage.

• Data security: storing and sharing of sensitive data in cloud can leads to violations and unauthorized access. Here, implementation of strong encrypted data can help.

Service outage affect the availability of services. This needs to be review.

• Compliance: Adhering to different industries regulations while using cloud can be complex.

• unexpected cost

• Data management and backup: some people lost their data during service outage in cloud and may not have access to the data again. Data synchronization can be put into consideration here.

Citations

1. Mell, Peter, and Timothy Grance. "The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing." National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce, 2011. Link

2. Armbrust, Michael, et al. "A View of Cloud Computing." Communications of the ACM, vol. 53, no. 4, 2010, pp. 50-58. Link

3. Buyya, Rajkumar, et al. "Cloud Computing and Emerging IT Platforms: Vision, Hype, and Reality for Delivering Computing as the 5th Utility." Future Generation Computer Systems, vol. 25, no. 6, 2009, pp. 599-616. Link

4. ChatGPT. "Discussion on Cloud Computing and Its Challenges." OpenAI, 2024.