/ Glossary / What is Public Cloud?

What is a public cloud?

A public cloud is a type of computing in which a service provider makes resources available to the public via the internet. Resources vary by provider but may include storage capabilities, applications, or virtual machines. Public clouds give organizations the ability to easily scale and share resources.

Most public cloud providers offer a subscription-based model or a pay-per-usage model. Cloud services are also available to individual users, and prices scale depending on resource needs. Organizations that use the cloud have to carefully evaluate the public cloud vendors before choosing the provider that will best fit their needs. 

Explore additional public cloud topics:

How is the public cloud structured?

The public cloud allows users to share resources while maintaining the privacy of each user's data. Public cloud architecture is completely virtualized, providing an environment where shared resources are leveraged as needed.

A key advantage of public cloud architecture is the ability to access a service or application on any connected device. Because the device itself performs little to no computation, individuals can use highly complex applications almost anywhere, on any device.

Public cloud is typically designed with built-in redundancies to prevent data loss. A service provider may store replicated files across several datacenters to ensure disaster recovery is smooth and fast. Data stored on a public cloud platform is generally regarded as safe from most hazards.

Public clouds may be structured differently depending on the type of service being provided. The three most common models on the market today are SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS

Software as a service (SaaS) is a cloud model in which a provider distributes software hosted in the cloud. Users access the SaaS application via the internet. This model eliminates the need for individual users to install software on their personal machines. It reduces the hardware needs of the organization and cuts down on support and maintenance costs.

Platform as a service (PaaS) is a computing model that allows an organization to develop software without needing to maintain the underlying infrastructure. Essentially, a provider builds and supports an optimized environment which it delivers to users through a broadband connection. PaaS often includes version control and compile services as well as computing and storage resources.

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is a model where an organization outsources its entire data center to a cloud service provider. The provider hosts everything from storage servers to networking hardware and maintains the virtualization environment. IaaS makes cloud adoption simpler. The system is often more cost-efficient than purchasing and maintaining hardware on-site.

Private cloud vs public cloud vs hybrid cloud

Private cloud, or corporate cloud, is either supplied by a service provider or constructed on-site at an organization's data center. In either case, private cloud tends to offer more security and control than a public cloud. Highly regulated industries often keep sensitive data in a private cloud for security and compliance.

A hybrid cloud environment extends a secure private cloud to a public cloud when resource demand rises. This paradigm allows organizations to maintain compliance while simultaneously taking advantage of public resources. Organizations that use hybrid cloud can maximize their internal resources without risking an overload if resource needs spike unexpectedly.

Benefits and challenges of public cloud

Public cloud solutions allow organizations to scale rapidly, something that is not possible in an on-premises data center. As a business grows, it doesn't need to acquire additional hardware or maintain a sprawling network, cloud-based services and applications require far less hardware than applications hosted in a private cloud. In other words, users no longer have to worry about installing and updating applications on their machines. Instead, their cloud-hosted applications will always remain up to date with the latest features and security.

Financially, a public cloud strategy offers organizations a way to grow at scale without accumulating substantial costs. Providers such as Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure offer per-usage deals that allow organizations to pay only for the resources they use. This makes the public cloud ideal for resource-intensive applications and seasonal peaks in workloads.

Though public cloud hosts take security very seriously, organizations may choose to protect their data by hosting it on a privately controlled cloud. Organizations operating in heavily regulated industries, such as healthcare, may get the most benefit from a hybrid model. Established businesses with highly specific computational needs may also prefer a private or hybrid model for enhanced optimization of resources.

Public cloud security

Modern public cloud service providers take security very seriously. Providers employ specialized security staff to automate security functions and monitor the system for anomalies. Strict policies protect user data from being accessed by other cloud tenants. To gain access to additional levels of security, organizations can leverage a public cloud solution within a hybridized environment.

Citrix cloud solutions

As organizations look to achieve greater agility and control, many are looking to leverage a mix of public and private clouds—and need a way to manage hybrid multi-cloud environments. Citrix app and desktop virtualization solutions make it easy to secure sensitive data, simplify IT management, and provide an exceptional user experience.