What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing, defined as the delivery of data storage, management, processing, and access services over the internet, enables businesses to rent rather than buy their IT infrastructure. You're in the right place to learn more about cloud computing systems and their features!

What is Cloud Computing Technology?

Questions like what is cloud computing and what is cloud computing technology used for are gaining attention from businesses. Cloud computing technology allows businesses to access servers, databases, software, networks, and other computing resources from anywhere with an internet connection, without needing physical hardware. With this technology, both individuals and organizations can operate with flexible, scalable, and cost-effective solutions without having to set up their own infrastructure. Since cloud computing systems charge only for the services used, businesses benefit from cost savings, more efficient infrastructure operations, and scalability tailored to evolving business needs.

As one of the most commonly used IT solutions today, cloud computing offers the following prominent features:

Pay-as-you-go

One of the most notable cloud computing service model features is its pay-as-you-go pricing. Users only pay for the resources they actually consume. Instead of paying a fixed fee upfront, costs increase as usage grows and decrease when usage drops. This significantly reduces investment costs for businesses.

On-Demand Self-Service

Thanks to this feature of cloud computing services, users can provision and manage computing resources on-demand without human interaction. You can launch a virtual server, request additional storage, create a database service, or scale down existing resources instantly through a web interface or API.

Flexibility and Scalability

Cloud computing services are highly flexible, allowing you to scale system resources up or down instantly according to demand. You can quickly adjust your system architecture, applications, or resources to match your business needs. Along with flexibility, scalability is another key benefit — cloud computing systems can automatically or manually expand or reduce based on workload changes, including processing power, storage, and bandwidth.

Resilience

This critical feature refers to the system's ability to recover from failures, outages, or unexpected events. The high resilience of cloud computing systems ensures uninterrupted and reliable service delivery. This guarantees service continuity and data integrity. In cloud environments, resilience is achieved through redundant infrastructure, automatic recovery, data backup, and disaster recovery planning.

Remote Accessibility

One of the standout cloud computing features is the ability to access services from any location and device. There's no need to rely on a specific computer or location — all you need is an internet connection.

Resource Pooling

Thanks to this core feature of cloud computing, cloud service providers pool computing resources like processing power, memory, storage, and network to serve multiple users dynamically and efficiently. Providers build large-scale infrastructure, divide these resources via virtualization, and allocate them simultaneously — yet securely — to different users. Your business can use only what it needs from this pool, operating as if you had dedicated infrastructure.

• Cost Savings: No need for hardware, server, or infrastructure investments. Cloud services reduce setup, maintenance, and energy expenses.
• Pay-as-you-use: Only pay for the resources you use — no wasted cost.
• Scalability & Flexibility: Easily scale up as workload grows. Rapid adaptation to evolving needs.
• Access Anywhere: Accessible from any location with internet connectivity.
• Fast Deployment: New servers, software, and services are ready in minutes, accelerating development and testing.
• Automatic Updates & Maintenance: System updates, patches, and security upgrades are handled automatically.
• Security & Backup: Data centers are secured with high standards, offering regular backups and disaster recovery solutions.
• Efficiency: Files are stored in shared cloud environments, enabling real-time collaboration, streamlined communication, and simplified version control.
• Eco-Friendly: Shared resources lead to more efficient energy use.

When categorized based on the level of service provided to the user, there are 3 main types of cloud computing:

• SaaS (Software as a Service): The provider hosts and manages the software. Users access applications entirely over the internet, with no installation required.
• PaaS (Platform as a Service): A development platform rather than infrastructure — databases, servers, and operating systems are pre-configured to support efficient development.
• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): IaaS offers core infrastructure like virtual servers, networks, and storage. The user manages operating systems, software, and configurations.

Interested in cloud servers? You might also enjoy our in-depth article on this topic.