{"id":98445,"date":"2024-05-27T11:27:01","date_gmt":"2024-05-27T09:27:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firstcolo.net\/glossary\/cloud\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T00:11:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T23:11:45","slug":"cloud","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/firstcolo.net\/en\/glossary\/cloud\/","title":{"rendered":"Cloud"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"98445\" class=\"elementor elementor-98445 elementor-48613\" data-elementor-post-type=\"glossary\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-78310f31 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"78310f31\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-174528bd e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"174528bd\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1615eac0 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1615eac0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6d308954 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"6d308954\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-124795ad elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"124795ad\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What is a cloud?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-553d58c4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"553d58c4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In the IT environment, the term cloud is often used as a shorthand for <a href=\"https:\/\/firstcolo.net\/en\/knowledge\/cloud-computing-dossier\/\">cloud computing<\/a>. It refers to an IT infrastructure where computing power, storage space, and software are no longer provided exclusively locally on an individual computer or a company&#8217;s own server, but are instead obtained over the internet from a distributed network of computers. These resources are located in large data centers belonging to cloud providers and can be accessed by users flexibly and as needed.  <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b466d6d e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"b466d6d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-66132d3f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"66132d3f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The basic principle\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-21023912 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"21023912\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A key feature of the cloud is its location-independent availability. Users can access their data and applications using various digital devices\u2014such as PCs, laptops, tablets, or smartphones\u2014as long as an internet connection exists. This often eliminates the need to install software locally or to operate extensive in-house server infrastructure. The cloud thus functions as a central IT platform that can be reached at any time.   <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2370bab5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2370bab5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Service models in cloud computing\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-303fb55d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"303fb55d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Cloud services are generally offered according to the &#8220;as a Service&#8221; principle. A distinction is made between Infrastructure as a Service (<a href=\"https:\/\/firstcolo.net\/en\/glossary\/iaas\/\">IaaS<\/a>), where virtual servers and storage are provided; Platform as a Service (<a href=\"https:\/\/firstcolo.net\/en\/glossary\/paas\/\">PaaS<\/a>) for development and runtime environments; and Software as a Service (SaaS), where ready-to-use applications can be used directly via a browser. Billing is usually usage-based (&#8220;pay-as-you-go&#8221;), which enables high cost flexibility, particularly for companies.  <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6d51b874 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6d51b874\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Advantages and challenges\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3d50d523 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3d50d523\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The most important advantages include high <a href=\"https:\/\/firstcolo.net\/en\/glossary\/scalability\/\">scalability<\/a>, automatic updates, worldwide availability, and easier collaboration, as multiple users can access shared data simultaneously. At the same time, aspects such as data protection, data security, internet dependency, and potential vendor lock-in must be carefully considered in order to deploy cloud solutions responsibly and efficiently. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-62c116e5 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"62c116e5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-876a81a elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"876a81a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Homepage<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-42f80e75 elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"42f80e75\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/firstcolo.net\/en\/knowledge\/glossary\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Glossary<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is a cloud? In the IT environment, the term cloud is often used as a shorthand for cloud computing. It refers to an IT infrastructure where computing power, storage space, and software are no longer provided exclusively locally on an individual computer or a company&#8217;s own server, but are instead obtained over the internet [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":97354,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"glossary-categories":[],"glossary-tags":[],"class_list":["post-98445","glossary","type-glossary","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Cloud | firstcolo Glossary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn more about the cloud and how cloud computing is revolutionizing access to data and software applications.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" 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