In 2011, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified five "essential characteristics" for cloud systems. [2] Below are the exact definitions according to NIST: [2] On-demand self-service: "A consumer can unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, as needed automatically without requiring human interaction with each service , Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet ("the cloud") to offer faster , Cloud Computing Explained. In simple terms, cloud computing allows you to rent instead of buy your back-end IT systems. Rather than spending your capital on application software, database software, management tools, servers, storage arrays, and data center infrastructure such as networking, computer racks, power supplies, and cooling systems, the cloud provider makes those investments., Cloud computing is possible because of a technology called virtualization. Virtualization allows for the creation of a simulated, digital-only "virtual" computer that behaves as if it were a physical computer with its own hardware. The technical term for such a computer is virtual machine. When properly implemented, virtual machines on the same , Cloud computing is a technology that enables us to create, configure, and customize applications through an internet connection. It includes a development platform, a hard drive, software, and a database.In this Cloud Computing Tutorial, you will learn the basic concepts of cloud computing, which in., Cloud computing is a general term for the on-demand delivery of hosted computing and IT services over the internet with pay-as-you-go pricing.Users can obtain technology services such as processing power, storage and databases from a cloud provider, eliminating the need to purchase, operate and maintain on-premises physical data centers and servers..