What is cloud computing?
Answer out loud or in your head first, then compare.
Answer
It's using IT resources offered as services: computing power, databases, file storage or networking. Instead of buying and maintaining physical servers yourself, you pick the services you need and configure them with the provider.
For example, an app can run its backend in a container, keep files in object storage and use a managed database. “Managed” means the provider does part of the upkeep. It doesn't mean no responsibility on our side: we still design the data, permissions, costs and failure handling. The cloud isn't one computer or one product.
Why it matters: Organises the conversation about AWS, Azure and Cloudflare.
Possible follow-ups: What is the provider responsible for, and what the application team?
How did it go? Be honest — “Not yet” puts the question on your review list.
Further reading
- AWS: What is Cloud Computing?(opens in a new tab)Accessed 22.10.2026. Cloud services and the split of responsibilities.