The epidemic has contributed to the rapid expansion of the cloud computing market. But even putting global illnesses aside, the cloud has made significant advancements for well over a decade.

Customers, however, may become confused by the bewildering variety of cloud-related phrases. Because of this, this article is intended to provide you a quick refresher on the different kinds of cloud computing, cloud services, and their advantages.

We won’t go too technical, so relax. This is more of a refresher for those who have already encountered the cloud and an introduction for newcomers. So let’s start with the basics of the different sorts of cloud computing.

Overview of The Cloud
The digital equivalent of clouds is founded in physical and virtual infrastructure, despite the fact that the phrase “the cloud” conjures thoughts of fluffy, soft entities lacking any real basis. All of the provider’s data and services are hosted on a very solid, trustworthy network of infrastructure that makes up the cloud.

Customers can access these server-based cloud networks via the Internet, as well as the data storage, online streaming services (like Netflix, YouTube, and others), and infrastructure services like Google Cloud, AWS, and Azure.

Cloud Services Types
Customers can access three main cloud services over the Internet, all of which are hosted by independent providers. Each service speeds up the transfer of user data from front-end clients to the cloud provider’s systems through the Internet and back again. However, how each cloud service handles these tasks varies.

IaaS

Infrastructure as a Service is abbreviated by this term. The entire infrastructure is managed by the cloud service provider (e.g., data storage, the actual servers, network, virtualization). A dashboard or API allows the customer access. Therefore, just like a landlord maintains an apartment, the user is responsible for the OS, applications, and middleware, while the provider works with the hardware (such as networking, hard drives, servers, and data storage) and manages hardware problems, outages, and repairs.

PaaS

Platform as a Service is referred to by the abbreviation PaaS. The user deals with the apps that operate on top of the platform and any necessary data, while the external cloud provider delivers and manages hardware and an application software platform. Programmers and DevOps experts prefer this arrangement since it relieves them of the burden of creating and maintaining the required infrastructure.

SaaS

Software as a Service is the meaning of this abbreviation. Most individuals use SaaS virtually daily, whether they are aware of it or not. Web applications and mobile apps that are delivered and maintained by the cloud service provider are known as SaaS and are accessed using a web browser. Software updates, bug patches, and maintenance are the user’s responsibility. Dropbox, ZenDesk, HubSpot, Slack, Salesforce, cloud-based Microsoft Office 365, and Adobe Creative Cloud are examples of typical SaaS.

How Similar Are the Different Forms of Cloud Computing?
There are similarities among all cloud computing models, regardless of the one you employ. Here is a list of characteristics that are typical of all cloud computing models:

Self-service on demand: Businesses can provision services without involving the provider.
Broad network access: Cloud services can be accessed by a variety of consumer platforms and are accessible through a network like the Internet or a local area network (LAN).
Multiple clients can access the same physical resources thanks to multi-tenancy and resource pooling.
Rapid scalability and elasticity: Cloud computing resources can be quickly scaled up or down in response to business demands, sometimes automatically.

Measured service: The “pay for what you use” pricing approach is reflected in the service provider’s monitoring, measuring, and reporting of cloud resource utilisation.