By IT Brew Staff
less than 3 min read
Definition:
The cloud is how we access and store data and software over the internet. It refers to a distributed network of physical servers located in data centers around the world. We use the cloud in our everyday lives when streaming music and television, scrolling social media, and hosting videocalls with friends or coworkers.
The three types of cloud refer to where and how the hardware and software resources dedicated to any system operate.
In-house
“On-prem” is short for “on premises,” and refers to hardware resources that are managed onsite by the operator of the system. Organizations may choose to rely on on-prem solutions because data being stored locally allows for greater control and security.
Rental property
The public cloud refers to the entirety of distributed computing resources that anyone can rent (or in some cases, bid on), typically at some kind of metered or bulk rate. Organizations may choose to rely on the public cloud when they don’t want or need to own or manage physical servers, they want the flexibility to scale compute resources as they need, or because it’s a more cost-effective option. Some examples of public clouds include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. These are often referred to as “the Big Three” cloud providers because they hold the most market share in the public cloud industry.
Private practice
A private cloud refers to a cloud computing provider that arranges dedicated off-site computing resources for a limited number of clients. Organizations may choose a private cloud environment because it can offer them full control over their data, or because it is often more secure than public cloud environments. A private cloud can also be customized for specific business needs.
Working from home
Companies these days appear to be moving portions of their workload from the cloud to on-prem facilities. Cost concerns and a demand for greater data control are also causing many organizations to rethink their cloud strategy.
On the flipside, cloud providers are grappling with supply constraints to power an AI-infused future. Because of this, big cloud providers have been upping their capital spending (capex) to be able to meet and satisfy demand.
