A public cloud is a type of cloud computing in which third-party providers provide services and infrastructure off-site. These services are delivered over the internet and shared by multiple organisations. Data storage, software development, and virtual desktops are common public cloud use cases. Businesses are increasingly using this type of cloud computing model due to the numerous benefits it provides.
Now let’s explore the definition, benefits, and typical use cases of public cloud computing.
Definition of Public Cloud
A public cloud is a computing model where cloud computing resources, such as servers, storage, networking, software, and applications, are owned and managed by a third-party cloud service provider and delivered over the internet. These resources are made available to individuals and organisations on a pay-as-you-go or subscription basis.
In a public cloud environment, the cloud provider manages the infrastructure, including data centers, hardware, software, and networking. Users can access these resources on demand through a self-service portal or APIs. This model is ideal for businesses with lower security concerns, especially for application development and testing.
Among the leading public cloud providers are Amazon EC2, Google App Engine, and Microsoft Azure. However, public cloud computing is just one part of definitions and types of cloud deployment models, which also include private, hybrid, and multi-cloud solutions. Each model offers unique benefits depending on an organization’s security, scalability, and performance needs.
What Is the Difference Between a Private Cloud and a Public Cloud?
The key difference between a private cloud and a public cloud lies in ownership and management. A public cloud is owned and operated by a third-party provider, offering cloud services over the internet. These resources are accessible to multiple users, and the provider is responsible for managing the entire infrastructure, including servers, storage, and networking.
On the other hand, a private cloud is exclusively used by a single organization. It can be owned, managed, and operated by the organization itself, a third party, or a combination of both. Private clouds may be hosted on-premises or off-premises and provide enhanced control, security, and compliance. They are often used for mission-critical applications requiring strict data privacy and regulatory adherence.
For smart cities, a public cloud for smart city initiatives provides scalability, cost efficiency, and flexibility. It enables real-time data management, supports IoT infrastructure, and enhances citizen services while reducing operational costs. However, organizations with sensitive data may still opt for private cloud solutions for added security and control.
Aside from ownership and management, here are the other major differences between public and private cloud deployment models.
- Ownership and Management: Public clouds are owned and managed by the cloud provider, while private clouds are owned and managed by the organization using the cloud.
- Access: Public clouds are accessible over the internet, while private clouds are accessed through a private network or VPN.
- Security: Public clouds may have lower security compared to private clouds, as they are shared with other users. Private clouds offer more control and customisation for security and compliance purposes.
- Cost: Public clouds are generally more cost-effective due to their pay-per-use model, while private clouds require substantial capital expenditure and ongoing management costs.
- Scalability: Public clouds are highly scalable, allowing users to quickly scale resources up or down as needed. Private clouds can also be scalable, but they may require more planning and resources.
- Flexibility: Public clouds offer flexibility in terms of service offerings and geographic locations, while private clouds may be limited by the organisation’s infrastructure and resources.
Benefits of the Public Cloud
Public cloud services offer several benefits that make them an attractive choice for many organisations. Some of the primary advantages of public cloud computing include the ability to easily scale resources and the cost-effectiveness of a pay-as-you go pricing model. Aside from that, some major advantages of the public cloud are as follows:
- Scalability: Public clouds offer virtually unlimited scalability, adjusting to meet changing workload demands.
- Pay-as-you-go Pricing Model: Public clouds operate on a pay-as-you-go model, making them more cost-effective than private or hybrid clouds.
- Faster Time to Market: The cloud service provider is responsible for infrastructure maintenance, updates, and patching, which can speed up the deployment of new business initiatives.
- Reliability: Public cloud providers invest heavily in infrastructure and maintain multiple data centres worldwide, ensuring high availability and reliability.
- Sustainability: Public clouds can contribute to sustainability efforts by optimising resource usage.
- Improved Data Gathering and Analysis Ability: Public clouds can enhance data gathering and analysis capabilities, providing valuable insights for businesses.
- Simplified Internal Operations: By offloading infrastructure management to the cloud provider, internal operations can be simplified.
- Better Collaboration: Public clouds facilitate better collaboration by providing shared environments accessible from anywhere. .
Although it has many benefits, one major disadvantage of public clouds is the risk of data security breaches. Since data is stored on servers shared with other users, there is a potential for unauthorised access or data leaks. This can be a concern for businesses handling sensitive information or industries with strict regulations on data privacy.
Common Use Cases for the Public Cloud
Public cloud services are used in a variety of ways across different sectors. The Cloud Academy blog outlines numerous use cases for public cloud computing in a variety of industries.
Mobile apps, social media content, and disaster recovery plans are some of the most common use cases. Public cloud providers provide global coverage and speed, ensuring that mobile applications have the best user experience possible. Data from blogs, forums, and social media sites can be easily transferred to the cloud. Because of their increased availability and dependability, public clouds are frequently used in disaster recovery plans.
Another common use case is for temporary workloads and projects. The pay-as-you-go, utility-based pricing model of the cloud is ideal for short-term, transient workloads and projects. Proof-of-concepts, pilots, application testing, product evaluations, labs, and training environments are some examples of use cases. Public clouds can also improve data collection and analysis capabilities, resulting in valuable insights for businesses.
Developers can use public cloud resources to build, test, and deploy applications. This is another popular use case for public cloud services. Furthermore, public clouds have the computational power required to process large datasets, making them ideal for big data processing.
Web-based email applications such as Gmail are examples of software-as-a service (SaaS) offerings from public clouds. Document sharing, video conferencing, and other collaborative tools can all be hosted in the public cloud, making collaboration easier. Finally, public clouds can automatically increase capacity in response to unexpected traffic surges, such as during e-commerce flash sales.
As part of the cloud deployment model, SaaS has many benefits for organisations that are looking for software that is cost efficient and ready to use in an instant. Read more about it in our previous post, ‘What is SaaS? Definitions and Common Applications of Software as a Service for Business‘.
Conclusion
To sum up, public cloud computing adoption has completely changed how businesses use and manage their IT assets. Businesses can leverage the public cloud’s potential to drive efficiency, innovation, and growth in the digital age by making educated decisions based on their understanding of the cloud’s definition, features, benefits, and typical use cases.
Do you want to increase the effectiveness of the cloud environment management process?
Axle Networks IT Managed Services offers robust cloud management solutions tailored to your specific needs. With our team of experienced professionals, you can rest assured that your cloud-based resources and data will be protected from unauthorised access and potential security threats.
