Cloud computing enables computer infrastructure and services to be available on-need basis. The computing infrastructure could involve hard disk, development platform, database, computing power or complete software applications.
In order to access these resources from the cloud vendors, organization do not need to make any large scale capital expenditures. Organization need to pay as they go. For instance, they need to pay only as much for the computing infrastructure as they take advantage. The billing model of cloud computing is rather similar to the electricity payment that we do on the basis of usage. Below are some typical characteristics of cloud computing which can help you learn and understand more about this technology.
- Availability of large computing infrastructure on need basis
Cloud providers offer appearance of infinite computing infrastructure availability. This is available to organizations on need basis. This makes sure that organizations do not have to set up servers for their peak requirements. Take the official Wimbledon site as an example to consider. This site gets extremely overload in the two weeks due to the championship. During this two weeks period, this site will have high server usage. For the rest of the year, the site will only need to pay for the reduced usage. In general, organizations do not need to bear the cost of computing infrastructure for their highest loads. This usage of computing resources can be grown or reduced on need basis, which is known as elastic computing.
- Cloud computing utilizes a “pay-per-use” billing model.
Cloud billing model are very different in comparison with tradition IT billing technologies. Typical billing models include per user billing, per GB billing or per use billing. For example, an organization is billed on each usage of the computing service.
What is more, cloud computing does not involve long-term commitment to use the computing infrastructure. The provider does not enforce long-term usage of services.
- Cloud computing does not include any significant capital expenditure for the organization.
Unlike traditional IT infrastructure, with cloud computing, organizations just use the computing services without reproducing it. In some sense, cloud computing involves renting the computing resources instead of purchasing them. Unlike traditional computing model, cloud computing requires no capital expenditure to acquire initial computing resources.
Because the cloud computing provider offers services over the web, these are available regardless of which location.
Finally, cloud computing can be ordered online without any detailed formal contracts.