What is meant by 'cloud computing'?

Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing services over the internet, allowing users to access and utilize various technologies such as storage, processing power, and applications on demand. This model eliminates the need for maintaining physical hardware and infrastructure on-site, as services are hosted remotely on powerful servers managed by cloud service providers.

By leveraging internet connectivity, individuals and organizations can scale their computing resources up or down based on their needs, ensuring flexibility and cost-efficiency. This also facilitates collaboration and accessibility since users can access their data and applications from virtually anywhere, on any device connected to the web.

In contrast, storing data on physical hard drives limits accessibility to specific devices and can lead to challenges in data management and sharing. A type of software development does not fully encompass the concept of cloud computing, which extends beyond software to include hardware and processing capabilities. Lastly, networking between personal devices relates to local area networks rather than the broader infrastructure and service model provided by cloud computing.