Cloud computing is an information technology (IT) paradigm that enables ubiquitous access to shared pools of configurable system resources and higher- level services that can be rapidly provisioned with minimal  management  effort, often over the Internet. Cloud computing relies on sharing  of  resources to achieve coherence and economies of scale, similar to a public utility.

Third-party clouds enable organisations to focus on their  core  businesses  instead of expending resources on computer infrastructure and maintenance. Advocates note that cloud computing allows companies to avoid or minimise up-front IT infrastructure costs. Proponents also claim that cloud computing allows enterprises to get their applications up and running faster, with improved manageability and less maintenance, and that it enables IT teams to more rapidly adjust resources to meet fluctuating and unpredictable demand. Cloud providers typically use a “pay-as-you-go” model, which can lead to unexpected operating expenses if administrators are not familiarised with cloud-pricing models.