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1. Glossary

2. What Is Cloud Computing?

What Is Cloud Computing?

A beginner’s guide to cloud computing
Cloud computing is the ability to acquire and use computing services — servers, storage,
databases, networking, software, analytics, intelligence, and more — over the internet. By
providing computing resources on demand, cloud computing lets you avoid the need to install
your own physical servers, run your own software, and manage your own databases. You can
access data, applications, and computing resources from anywhere in the world, rather than
needing to be connected to a computer in an office. As a result, the cloud offers faster
innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale. You typically only pay for the cloud
services you use, helping you lower operating costs, run infrastructure more efficiently, and scale
as your business needs change.
Top benefits of cloud computing
Cloud computing is a shift from the traditional way businesses think about IT resources. Here are
the most common reasons organizations turn to the cloud.

• Cost: Cloud computing eliminates the capital expenditures and resources needed to run and
manage your own infrastructure. The pricing and cost of hardware, software, utilities, and on-
site management of servers adds up fast.
• Speed: Most cloud computing services are self-service and on demand. Even vast amounts of
computing resources can be provisioned in minutes, typically with just a few clicks, giving you
plenty of flexibility and taking the pressure off capacity planning.
• Global scale: Cloud computing services include the ability to scale elastically. In cloud speak,
that means delivering the right amount of IT resources for your workloads. For example,
choosing more or less computing power, storage, or bandwidth right when it’s needed, and
from the right geographic location.
• Productivity: On-site data centers typically require heavy “racking and stacking” hardware
setup, software patching, and other time-consuming IT management duties. Cloud computing
removes the need for many of these tasks so IT teams can work toward more important
business goals.
• Performance: Cloud computing services run on a worldwide network of secure data centers that
often use the latest generation of computing hardware. This global network provides your
application’s users with the reduced network latency they have come to expect. As your user
base shifts geographically, your cloud infrastructure can too.
• Security: Cloud providers can offer a broad set of policies, technologies, and controls that
strengthen your overall security posture. These tools protect your data, apps, business
applications, sensitive data, end users, and infrastructure from potential threats.
 • Reliability: Cloud service providers can store data at multiple, redundant sites, giving you
reliable access to your resources in the cloud.
• Mobility: Cloud computing supports your mobile workforce by making resources available to
your users anywhere, anytime, on any internet-connected device.
• Modernization: Cloud services can play a central role in helping your organization move away
from cumbersome legacy technologies and adopt more innovative solutions that automate
processes, streamline workflows and simplify IT operations.

How does cloud computing work?

The cloud is a vast network of computer servers located around the world, along with the data,
content, applications, databases, and other computing resources that reside on these servers.
Cloud computing is made possible by virtualization, a technology that allows one physical server
to run multiple “virtual” computers (also known as virtual machines, or VMs). Virtualization
makes it possible to pool the resources from many different physical servers — even servers
located in different geographic areas — and make them available to customers or users as a
single, highly scalable service.

By making the use of physical hardware more efficient and allowing one physical machine to
serve many different needs and organizations, cloud computing reduces the cost of managing and
accessing computing resources.
Types of cloud computing
Not all clouds are the same and not one type of cloud computing is right for everyone. Several
different models, types, and services have evolved to help offer the right solution for your needs.
First, you need to determine the type of cloud deployment, or cloud architecture, that your
services will be implemented on. There are four different ways to deploy cloud services: on a
public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud, or multicloud.

• Public cloud services: Public clouds are owned and operated by third-party cloud service
providers, which deliver computing resources like servers and storage over the internet. Linode,
now Akamai, is an example of a public cloud. With a public cloud, all hardware, software, and
other supporting infrastructure is managed by the cloud provider. You can access these services
and manage your account using a web browser, API, or CLI.
• Private cloud: A private cloud refers to cloud computing resources used exclusively by a single
business or organization. A private cloud can be physically located in the company’s on-site data
center. Some companies also pay third-party service providers to host their private cloud. A
private cloud environment maintains the services and infrastructure on a private network.
• Hybrid cloud: Hybrid cloud offers a combination of public and private clouds, networked
together in such a way that data and applications can be shared between them. Hybrid clouds
offer businesses greater flexibility for scaling and deployment.
• Multicloud: Multicloud is a strategy that employs two or more cloud computing providers.
Multicloud strategies offer redundancy and the ability to select different cloud services or
features from different providers. Multicloud deployments can be valuable in offsetting the cost
of testing environments to give internal developers more power at a reduced cost.
Types of cloud services: IaaS, PaaS, serverless, and SaaS
Most cloud computing services fall into four broad categories: infrastructure as a service (IaaS),
platform as a service (PaaS), serverless, and software as a service (SaaS). These are sometimes
called the “cloud computing stack” because they build on top of one another. Knowing what they
are and how they’re different makes it easier to accomplish your business goals.

• Infrastructure as a service (IaaS): This is the most basic category of cloud computing services.
With IaaS, you rent IT infrastructure — servers and virtual machines, storage, networking,
operating systems — from a cloud provider on a pay-as-you-go basis.
• Platform as a service: Cloud platform as a service (PaaS) refers to cloud computing services that
supply an on-demand environment for developing, testing, delivering, and managing software
applications. PaaS makes it easier for developers to quickly create web applications or mobile
apps without worrying about setting up or managing the underlying infrastructure of servers,
storage, networking, and databases.
• Serverless computing: Overlapping with PaaS, serverless computing focuses on building app
functionality without spending time continually managing the servers and infrastructure
required to do so. The cloud provider handles the setup, capacity planning, and server
management for you. Serverless architectures are highly scalable and event-driven, only using
resources when a specific function or trigger occurs.
• Software as a service (SaaS): Software as a service is a method for delivering software
applications over the internet, on demand, and typically on a subscription basis. With SaaS,
cloud providers host and manage the software (SaaS application) and underlying infrastructure,
and handle any maintenance, like software upgrades and security patching. Users connect to
the application over the internet, usually with a web browser on their phone, tablet, or PC.

Uses of cloud computing

You’re probably using cloud computing right now, even if you don’t realize it. If you use an
online service to send email, edit documents, watch movies or TV, listen to music, play games,
or store pictures and other files, it’s likely that cloud computing is making it all possible behind
the scenes. The first cloud computing services are barely a decade old, but already a variety of
organizations — from tiny startups and global corporations to government agencies and
nonprofits — are embracing the technology for a variety of reasons and use cases.

• Create new apps and services: Quickly build, deploy, and scale applications like web, mobile,
and API on any platform. Access the resources you need to help meet performance, security,
and compliance requirements. Build, test and take down environments quickly, speeding time to
market for new developments.
• Store, backup, and recover data: Avoid outages and protect your data cost-effectively — and at
massive scale — by transferring your data over the internet to an offsite cloud storage system
that’s accessible from any location and any device. Improve disaster recovery efforts to ensure
business continuity.
• Stream audio and video: Connect with your audience anywhere, anytime, on any device, with
high-definition video and audio, with global distribution.
 • Deliver software on demand: Also known as software as a service (SaaS), on-demand software
lets you offer the latest software versions and updates to your customers — anytime they need
them, anywhere they are.
• Work with big data analytics and AI: Use the powerful processing capabilities of the cloud to
collect and analyze big data or to power artificial intelligence and machine learning applications.
• Support your mobile workforce: Give your mobile and remote workers virtual desktops they
can easily access from any laptop, tablet, or mobile device. Keep workers connected with cloud-
based email and messaging platforms.

How secure is cloud computing?

Cloud security is a big concern for many companies storing data and running applications in the
cloud. Many public cloud offerings are multi-tenant environments — that means data from
multiple customers sits on the same server, increasing the possibility of a breach. Knowing that
many organizations store sensitive data in the cloud, cybercriminals have greater incentive to
attempt to breach the defenses of cloud service providers so they can access or steal valuable
information.

To protect data in the cloud from theft, loss, or outages caused by cyberattacks, cloud service
providers adopt a variety of protocols, policies, and technologies to enhance cloud computing
security. These can include data encryption, user identity and access management technology,
and security compliance and monitoring. Because cloud providers invest more heavily in
security solutions, many businesses find that the cloud can deliver better security than their own
on-premises IT environments. [article cited]
What is the future of cloud computing?
The cloud is constantly evolving, and there are several trends that experts predict will dominate
cloud computing in the coming years. The cloud will enable quantum computing that can process
complex calculations and massive datasets more quickly. With the growth of Internet of Things
(IoT) devices and other latency-sensitive applications, cloud providers are likely to embrace edge
computing, allowing systems to be more distributed and to bring data and processing closer to
users. The secure access service edge (SASE) will play a large role in managing security and
risk. “Green cloud” initiatives will work to reduce the massive amount of energy the cloud
requires for electricity and cooling while improving hardware recycling and reducing electronic
waste.
Learn more about cloud computing
Akamai has a number of resources available to educate and help you get started with cloud
computing. Check out some of the other resources and additional topics we’ve written about.

Basics of cloud computing

• What Is the Cloud?

Types of cloud deployments

 • What Is Public Cloud?
• What Is Private Cloud?
• What Is Multicloud?
• What Is Hybrid Cloud?
• What Is a Distributed Cloud?

Cloud service models

• What Is Cloud Infrastructure?

• What Is a Cloud Platform?
• What Is Infrastructure as a Service?
• What Is Serverless Computing?
• What Is Software as a Service (SaaS)?

Cloud databases and cloud storage

• What Are Cloud Databases?

• What Is Cloud Storage?

Cloud security

• What Is Cloud-Based Security?

• What Is Enterprise Cloud Security?

Cloud applications and performance

• What Are Cloud-Native Applications?

• What Is Cloud Load Balancing?
• What Is Cloud Optimization?
• What Is a Cloud CDN?

Advanced cloud concepts

• What Is Edge Computing?

Cloud computing foundations series

• A series of developer-focused blogs covering Cloud Computing Foundations

• Build your skills further by taking our Introduction to Cloud Computing certification course

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the cloud?
What is cloud computing?
What is public vs. private vs. hybrid vs. multicloud?
What are the types of cloud computing service models?
What are the benefits of cloud computing?
How can cloud computing be used for application development?
What is cloud computing vs. edge computing?
What is cloud migration?

Why customers choose Akamai

Akamai powers and protects life online. Leading companies worldwide choose Akamai to build,
deliver, and secure their digital experiences — helping billions of people live, work, and play
every day. Akamai Connected Cloud, a massively distributed edge and cloud platform, puts apps
and experiences closer to users and keeps threats farther away.

Learn More

Akamai Cloud Computing

Put applications and workloads close to your end users, no matter where they are in the world,
with the world’s most distributed cloud platform.
Learn more

Cloud Computing at the Edge

We’re building a massively distributed cloud computing platform on top of our trusted and
scaled network, shifting how developers and companies build and deploy applications across the
continuum of computing from core to edge.
Learn more

Additional Resources

Distributed Cloud: Technology's Next Act

A ClearPath Strategies report, commissioned by Akamai, reveals that distributed cloud
computing is becoming mission-critical for global IT leaders.
Learn more

Power of Portability: 5 Business Benefits of Going Cloud Native

Drive cost efficiency and gain business agility with a cloud-native strategy. Read the IT leader
ebook now.
Learn more

Related Pages

Learn more about related topics and technologies on the pages listed below.
What Is a Cloud CDN?

What Is Cloud Computing?

What Are Cloud Databases?

What Is Cloud Infrastructure?

What Is Cloud Load Balancing?

What Is Cloud Network Security?

What Is Cloud Optimization?

What Is a Cloud Platform?

What Is Cloud Security?

What Is Cloud Storage?

What Is Cloud-Based Security?

What Are Cloud-Native Applications?

What Is a Distributed Cloud?

What Is Edge Computing?

What Is Enterprise Cloud Security?

What Is Hybrid Cloud?

What Is IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)?

What Is Managed Kubernetes?

What Is Multicloud?

What Is PaaS (Platform as a Service)?

What Is Private Cloud?

What Is Public Cloud?

What Is Serverless Computing?

What Is SaaS (Software as a Service)?

What Is the Cloud?

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Explore Akamai Connected Cloud

 The world’s most distributed platform for cloud computing, security, and content delivery

Learn more

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