AWS (Amazon Web Services) is the leading cloud computing platform — providing on-demand computing resources (servers, storage, databases, networking, and hundreds of services) over the internet, paid for as you use them. Cloud computing means renting IT resources instead of owning physical hardware.
Cloud computing: renting resources on demand
TRADITIONAL: buy/maintain your own physical servers (data center, upfront cost,
capacity planning, maintenance, slow to scale)
CLOUD: rent computing resources from a provider ON DEMAND, over the internet:
→ provision servers/storage/databases in MINUTES (no buying hardware)
→ PAY ONLY for what you use (pay-as-you-go)
→ SCALE up/down instantly as needs change
→ the provider handles the physical infrastructure
