Cloud Computing

The document discusses cloud computing concepts including definitions, characteristics, service models, and deployment models. Cloud computing refers to applications and services delivered over the internet (SaaS) as well as the underlying hardware and software (utility computing). There are three main service models - Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) - which provide different levels of control over computing resources, analogous to building a new house, buying an empty house, and renting a hotel room, respectively. The four deployment models define the scope and access of cloud infrastructure - public, private, community, and hybrid clouds.