What is Cloud computing? How does it compare to other forms of computing?

Let us simplify this with a simple example: Gmail is a cloud service. Having said that, this doesn't mean that any service hosted on the web is a cloud service. Cloud Computing Services must have following 5 attributes:



---available everywhere i.e. uses Internet technologies, hassle-free, in most cases no installations/downloads etc.

---available on demand i.e. metered like your electric bills.

---can be accessed on any device i.e. device independent.

---Resource Sharing i.e Multi-Tenant (ability of the software to be offered to multiple users),

---Scalable %26amp; Elastic i.e. capacity can be sized up or sized down with in minutes, based on demand. Your business is growing you spin up more servers %26amp; pay only for whatever you use. Come recession %26amp; if your business is shrinking use less number of servers %26amp; pay less. This is as simple %26amp; quick as a simple configuration/settings. (No need to buy infrastructure which may lie idle/unproductive once your business doesn't require them)



A common user will use Cloud SaaS (Gmail, Dropbox etc). Developers %26amp; techies use Cloud IaaS (hosting infrastructure) %26amp; PaaS (development environment).What is Cloud computing? How does it compare to other forms of computing?
Cloud computing essentialy means that all or some of the information used by the computer is stored off site. this means that the information or programs can be accessed from anywhere as long as there is access to the "cloud". one way of thinking about it is if you save a picture, instead of it going onto the your computer it is saved to an external source or "cloud" that any computer on the network can access.