Search

Public cloud is a deployment model that draws on the compute resources of a cloud service provider (CSP). The resources are delivered over the internet, as a service. Public cloud deployments are typically managed on a pay-per-use basis that incurs operating expenses (OpEx) but does not require an investment in hardware as a capital expense (CapEx.) The user organization contracts with the CSP to gain access to the servers and supporting technologies that are owned and maintained by the CSP.

Cloud computing works by building out a robust cloud architecture that connects businesses to compute, storage, and networking resources over a network. These resources can come from servers in a privately owned data center, from a cloud service provider, or a mixture of both public and private data centers. This allows operational tasks—including workloads, applications, and data storage—to be moved from on-premises infrastructure to cloud infrastructure, where they can be managed remotely with virtualization tools and cloud management platforms.

A cloud management platform (CMP) is an integrated software suite that enables organizations to manage, monitor, and optimize public, private, and hybrid cloud environments from a single interface. CMPs offer a consolidated dashboard that gives visibility and control over all cloud resources, workloads, and services, regardless of where they are hosted. Many CMPs are based on open source software, helping companies avoid vendor lock-in and customize their cloud management solutions. CMPs typically connect to cloud services via APIs, which enable secure, real-time communication and data exchang