What is Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services over the internet.
Computing services include common IT infrastructure such as virtual machines, storage, databases, and networking.
Cloud services also include things like Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning (ML), and artificial intelligence (AI).
If you need to increase your IT infrastructure rapidly, you don’t have to wait to build a new datacenter—you can use the cloud to rapidly expand your IT footprint.

Just like when you shop for your own computer, Cloud computing lets you choose the power and features you need to run your software.
The difference is, with Cloud computing, the PC is in a Cloud provider's data center instead of physically with you.
In cloud computing you pay only for the services you use, plus someone else gets to manage the upkeep of the computer.
The basic services provided by all Cloud providers are compute power and storage.

Compute power is how much processing your computer can do.
For example, when buying a home computer, you may choose a computer with eight gigabytes of RAM and the latest processor to run the software you need today, but as the load on the computer grows, you find that it slows down.
With Cloud computing, you can add and remove compute power as you need it. This saves on cost since you only pay for the resources you use.

Storage is the volume of data you can store on your computer. A traditional computer has limited hard drive space. Over time, you may run out of space, and you have to buy another hard drive to store more data.
With Cloud computing, you can request more storage as you need it.
Cloud providers manage the upkeep of the computers, backups, ensure operating system is up to date, and everything is up and running 24 hours a day.
As your business grows and your computing needs change, you can quickly bring on new computing resources in a cost-effective way.

Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)