Cloud Computing — Introduction to Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing is the delivery of computing services like servers, storage, databases, networking, software, and more over the internet ('the cloud'). Instead of owning and managing physical hardware, businesses and individuals can rent these resources on-demand from cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP). This makes computing resources more scalable, flexible, and cost-efficient. Cloud Computing eliminates the need to buy and maintain expensive infrastructure, allowing users to pay only for what they use. Examples include using Google Drive for file storage, Netflix for streaming, and Gmail for email services. Cloud services are usually hosted in massive data centers spread across the globe, ensuring reliability and availability.

Real-life example: When you upload a photo to Google Drive, it is stored on Google's cloud servers instead of your computer's hard drive, so you can access it from anywhere.