This document provides an introduction to cloud computing, including its history, architecture, types, components, advantages, and disadvantages. It discusses how cloud computing originated from telecommunications companies changing to VPNs in the 1990s. The main types of cloud computing are public, private, and hybrid clouds. Public clouds are available to the general public while private clouds are dedicated to a particular organization. Hybrid clouds combine two or more cloud types. The core components of cloud computing are infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and software as a service (SaaS). Advantages include low cost, device diversity, and automatic updating, while disadvantages comprise dependency, security risks, and requiring internet access.