What Is Cloud Computing ?
Types,
Architecture, Examples and Benefits
Last Updated : 14 Jul, 2025
Nowadays, Cloud computing is adopted by every company, whether it is
an MNC or a startup. Many are still migrating towards it because of its cost-
efficiency, lesser maintenance, and the increased capacity of the data with
the help of servers maintained by the cloud providers.
Cloud Computing means storing and accessing data and programs on
remote servers that are hosted on the internet instead of the computer's
hard drive or local server. Cloud computing is also referred to as Internet-
based computing. It is a technology where the resource is provided as a
service through the Internet to the user. The data that is stored can be files,
images, documents, or any other storable document.
How Cloud Computing Works?
Cloud computing helps users easily access computing resources like
storage and processing over the internet rather than local hardware. Here
we are discussing how it works in a nutshell:
Infrastructure: Cloud computing depends on remote network servers
hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data.
On-Demand Access: Users can access cloud services and resources
on demand, scaling up or down without having to invest in physical
hardware.
Types of Services: Cloud computing offers various benefits such as
cost saving, scalability, reliability, and accessibility. It reduces capital
expenditures, and improves efficiency.
Origins Of Cloud Computing
Mainframe computing in the 1950s and the internet explosion in the 1990s
came together to give rise to cloud computing. Since businesses like
Amazon, Google, and Salesforce started providing web-
based services in the early 2000s. The term "cloud computing" has gained
popularity. Scalability, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness are to be
facilitated by the concept's on-demand internet-based access to
computational resources.
These days, cloud computing is common, driving a wide range of services
across markets and transforming the processing, storage, and retrieval of
data
Architecture Of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing architecture refers to the components and sub-
components required for cloud computing. These components typically
refer to:
1. Front end ( Fat client, Thin client)
2. Back-end platforms ( Servers, Storage )
3. Cloud-based delivery and a network ( Internet, Intranet, Intercloud )
1. Front End ( User Interaction Enhancement )
The User Interface of Cloud Computing consists of 2 sections of clients.
The Thin clients are the ones that use web browsers facilitating portable
and lightweight accessibilities and others are known as Fat Clients that use
many functionalities for offering a strong user experience.
2. Back-end Platforms ( Cloud Computing Engine )
The core of cloud computing is made at back-end platforms with several
servers for storage and processing computing. Management of
Applications logic is managed through servers and effective data handling
is provided by storage. The combination of these platforms at the backend
offers the processing power, and capacity to manage and store data behind
the cloud.
3. Cloud-Based Delivery and Network
On-demand access to the computer and resources is provided over the
Internet, Intranet, and Intercloud. The Internet comes with global
accessibility, the Intranet helps in internal communications of the services
within the organization and the Intercloud enables interoperability across
various cloud services. This dynamic network connectivity ensures an
essential component of cloud computing architecture on guaranteeing easy
access and data transfer.
What are the Types of Cloud Computing Services?
The following are the types of Cloud Computing:
1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
2. Platform as a Service (PaaS)
3. Software as a Service (SaaS)
4. Function as as Service (FaaS)
1. Infrastructure as a Service ( IaaS )
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a type of cloud computing that gives
people access to IT tools like virtual computers, storage, and networks
through the internet. You don’t need to buy or manage physical hardware.
Instead, you pay only for what you use.
Here are some key benefits of using IaaS:
Flexibility and Control: IaaS comes up with providing virtualized
computing resources such as VMs, Storage, and networks facilitating
users with control over the Operating system and applications.
Reducing Expenses of Hardware: IaaS provides business cost
savings with the elimination of physical infrastructure investments
making it cost-effective.
Scalability of Resources: The cloud provides in scaling of hardware
resources up or down as per demand facilitating optimal performance
with cost efficiency.
2. Platform as a Service ( PaaS )
Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a cloud computing model where a third-
party provider offers the software and hardware tools needed to develop,
test, and run applications. This allows users to focus on building their
applications without worrying about managing servers or infrastructure.
For example, AWS Elastic Beanstalk is a PaaS offered by Amazon Web
Services that helps developers quickly deploy and manage applications
while AWS takes care of the needed resources like servers, load balancing,
and scaling.
Here are some key benefits of using PaaS:
Simplifying the Development: Platform as a Service offers application
development by keeping the underlying Infrastructure as an Abstraction.
It helps the developers to completely focus on application logic ( Code )
and background operations are completely managed by the AWS
platform.
Enhancing Efficiency and Productivity: PaaS lowers the
Management of Infrastructure complexity, speeding up the Execution
time and bringing the updates quickly to market by streamlining the
development process.
Automation of Scaling: Management of resource scaling,
guaranteeing the program's workload efficiency is ensured by PaaS.
3. Software as a Service (SaaS)
Software as a Service (SaaS) is a way of using software over the internet
instead of installing it on your computer. The software is hosted by a
company, and you can use it just by logging in through a web browser. You
don’t need to worry about updates, maintenance, or storage the provider
takes care of all that.
A common example is Google Docs. You can write and share documents
online without downloading any software.
Here are some key benefits of using SaaS:
Collaboration And Accessibility: Software as a Service (SaaS) helps
users to easily access applications without having the requirement of
local installations. It is fully managed by the AWS Software working as a
service over the internet encouraging effortless cooperation and ease of
access.
Automation of Updates: SaaS providers manage the handling of
software maintenance with automatic latest updates ensuring users gain
experience with the latest features and security patches.
Cost Efficiency: SaaS acts as a cost-effective solution by reducing the
overhead of IT support by eliminating the need for individual software
licenses.
4. Function as a Service (FaaS)
Function as a service (FaaS) is a cloud-computing service that allows
customers to run code in response to events, without managing the
complex infrastructure. You just write the code, upload it and the cloud
provider runs it only when it's needed. You pay only for the time your code
runs.
For example, with AWS Lambda, you can write a function that resizes
images whenever someone uploads a photo to your website. You don’t
need to keep a server running all the time AWS runs your function only
when a photo is uploaded.
Here are some key benefits of using SaaS:
Event-Driven Execution: FaaS helps in the maintenance of servers
and infrastructure making users worry about it. FaaS facilitates the
developers to run code as a response to the events.
Cost Efficiency: FaaS facilitates cost efficiency by coming up with the
principle "Pay as per you Run" for the computing resources used.
Scalability and Agility: Serverless Architectures scale effortlessly in
handing the workloads promoting agility in development and
deployment.
To know more about the Types of Cloud Computing Difference please read
this article - IaaS vs PaaS vs SaaS
What are Cloud Deployment Models?
The following are the Cloud Deployment Models:
1. Private Deployment Model
It provides an enhancement in protection and customization by cloud
resource utilization as per particular specified requirements. It is perfect for
companies which looking for security and compliance needs.
2. Public Deployment Model
It comes with offering a pay-as-you-go principle for scalability and
accessibility of cloud resources for numerous users. it ensures cost-
effectiveness by providing enterprise-needed services.
3. Hybrid Deployment Model
It comes up with a combination of elements of both private and public
clouds providing seamless data and application processing in between
environments. It offers flexibility in optimizing resources such as sensitive
data in private clouds and important scalable applications in the public
cloud.
To know more about the Cloud Deployment Models, read this Articles
Cloud Deployment Models
Differences of Cloud Deployment Models
Characteristics Of Cloud Computing
The following are the characterisitics of Cloud Computing:
1. Scalability
With Cloud hosting, it is easy to grow and shrink the number and size of
servers based on the need. This is done by either increasing or decreasing
the resources in the cloud. This ability to alter plans due to fluctuations in
business size and needs is a superb benefit of cloud computing, especially
when experiencing a sudden growth in demand.
2. Save Money
An advantage of cloud computing is the reduction in hardware costs.
Instead of purchasing in-house equipment, hardware needs are left to the
vendor. For companies that are growing rapidly, new hardware can be
large, expensive, and inconvenient. Cloud computing alleviates these
issues because resources can be acquired quickly and easily. Even better,
the cost of repairing or replacing equipment is passed to the vendors.
Along with purchase costs, off-site hardware cuts internal power costs and
saves space. Large data centers can take up precious office space and
produce a large amount of heat. Moving to cloud applications or storage
can help maximize space and significantly cut energy expenditures.
3. Reliability
Rather than being hosted on one single instance of a physical server,
hosting is delivered on a virtual partition that draws its resource, such as
disk space, from an extensive network of underlying physical servers. If
one server goes offline it will have no effect on availability, as the virtual
servers will continue to pull resources from the remaining network of
servers.
4. Physical Security
