Cloud Computing

 Disclaimer: Have got this info from many useful internet sites.

A cloud can be private or public. A private cloud is a proprietary network or a data center that supplies hosted services to a limited number of people, with certain access and permissions settings. 

With a cloud app, you just open a browser, log in, and start working.I have been using  public cloud w.r.t. apps like facebook, google docs, gmail, whatsapp, zoom and dropbox.

Cloud computing means getting computer resources (data storage and processing power) on demand.

A fundamental concept behind cloud computing is that the location of the service, and many of the details such as the hardware or operating system on which it is running, are largely irrelevant to the user.

Benefits:

• Elastic resources: Scale up or down quickly and easily to meet changing demand.
• Metered services: Pay only for what you use.
• Self-service: Find all the IT resources you need, with self-service access.
• The service is fully managed by the provider (the consumer needs nothing but a personal computer and internet access). Significant innovations in virtualization and distributed computing, as well as improved access to high-speed internet, have accelerated interest in cloud computing.

Cloud computing vendors

The cloud service market has no shortage of providers. The three largest public cloud service providers, who have established themselves as dominant fixtures in the industry, are:

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

Other major cloud service providers include:

• Apple
• Citrix
• IBM
• Salesforce
• Alibaba
• Oracle Cloud
• VMware
• SAP
• Joyent
• Rackspace       ..etc.