Define cloud computing and name the three main service models.

Define cloud computing and name the three main service models.

• A. Cloud storage
• B. Cloud computing delivers on-demand computing resources over the internet; IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS
• C. Cloud computing is only about email
• D. Cloud computing requires on-site servers

Answer: (B)

Cloud computing means obtaining computing resources—like servers, storage, databases, and software—over the internet on demand, with scalable capacity and pay‑as‑you‑go pricing, so you don’t have to own or manage the underlying hardware. The three main service models are Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), which provides virtualized computing resources; Platform as a Service (PaaS), which offers a platform for developing, running, and managing applications; and Software as a Service (SaaS), which delivers software applications accessible over the internet. This choice best captures both the broad definition of cloud computing and the standard trio of service models. Other options describe specific cloud offerings or misunderstand cloud’s nature, such as cloud storage being just one type of service, cloud computing not being limited to email, or requiring on-site servers, which contradicts the essence of cloud delivery.

Cloud computing means obtaining computing resources—like servers, storage, databases, and software—over the internet on demand, with scalable capacity and pay‑as‑you‑go pricing, so you don’t have to own or manage the underlying hardware. The three main service models are Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), which provides virtualized computing resources; Platform as a Service (PaaS), which offers a platform for developing, running, and managing applications; and Software as a Service (SaaS), which delivers software applications accessible over the internet. This choice best captures both the broad definition of cloud computing and the standard trio of service models. Other options describe specific cloud offerings or misunderstand cloud’s nature, such as cloud storage being just one type of service, cloud computing not being limited to email, or requiring on-site servers, which contradicts the essence of cloud delivery.