Thanks to cloud computing, it is now much simpler to have access to a scalable, adaptable, and on-demand computing infrastructure for a wide variety of uses. Another important technological development is cloud computing, which is already clearly changing how information technology is used and how the market is structured. This book covers a wide variety of cloud computing applications and focuses on state-of-the-art cloud computing services, systems, and architectures. Given the explosive growth of cloud computing technologies, platforms, and services, this Handbook may become the de facto standard reference for anybody involved in the field, whether they are researchers, scientists, programmers, engineers, or users. The book’s intended audience includes researchers, practitioners, educators, engineers, academics, designers, and graduate students. Anyone interested in investing, starting their own business, or managing a company could learn something from this book.

The term “cloud computing” is still relatively unfamiliar. Despite the many resources available, most people still lack a thorough understanding of what cloud computing entails. I think this is often true even of the authors themselves. One reason for this is that most published works on cloud computing are created from a technical point of view rather than a user’s. There is also the marketing jargon that various businesses have coined to hawk their cloud-computing services.

Therefore, there is a great deal of confusion. This is a common reaction whenever a new piece of technology is introduced, especially if it promises to bring about a radical shift in the status quo. Considering this, this book’s primary objective is to help you see beyond the hype and into the potential rewards of cloud computing.

This book will help you understand cloud computing from the user’s perspective, covering when and why to utilize cloud services, how to choose a cloud provider, how to combine cloud and on-premises IT, and best practices in cloud computing. The main purpose of this book is to provide concepts that will better prepare you to make your own decisions about such offerings, but if care is not taken, it can easily become an advertisement for various cloud service providers. Furthermore, some vendors are here today and gone tomorrow, as is the nature of the fast-paced technology industry. This is not a technical book at all. This book is intended for a general readership rather than a technical one, yet any technical expert would benefit from reading it to better understand the far-reaching effects of cloud computing. Cloud computing and centralized-related technologies are not assumed in this book’s content. Before we continue, however, it would be helpful if you read the book’s introductory chapter so that we can talk about cloud computing using the same language. This information will be useful in the next chapters.