Cloud computing is the process of moving data and applications to the cloud, allowing users to access them from anywhere with an internet connection. When businesses switch to the cloud, they can avoid costly hardware investments and quickly increase or decrease their infrastructure as needed. This lets businesses innovate faster without waiting for new technology.

Enterprises benefit from the cloud the most commonly by hosting their applications on servers of a cloud service provider. This type of cloud computing is called Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). SaaS providers host all the middleware, hardware and application software required for running an enterprise application in their data centers. They usually offer this service on a pay as you go basis, which means that the user only pays for what they utilize.

Another popular cloud service is called Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). IaaS allows a company to lease the equipment and storage needed to build its own applications in a cloud computing service’s data center. It’s similar to renting an apartment in which you pay only for the rooms that you use, for instance the kitchen when you eat dinner or the bedroom before you go to bed.

Finally, a newer cloud service called Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) is emerging that offers even more scalability and agility for business users. FaaS breaks down cloud applications into smaller parts that are activated when needed. This lets you pay only for the resources secure file sharing for m&a that you require.