Which statement best describes cloud computing?

Which statement best describes cloud computing?

• A. The on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially storage and computing power.
• B. A fixed limit on capacity that cannot be expanded.
• C. Software must be installed on every device.
• D. Local-only storage solutions.

Answer: (A)

Cloud computing means you can access computing resources whenever you need them over the internet, without owning or keeping the hardware yourself. The statement that best describes this is the one about on-demand availability of resources, especially storage and computing power. It captures the core idea that you don’t pre-provision fixed capacity; you request what you need, when you need it, and you can scale up or down as requirements change. You typically pay only for what you use, which reinforces the flexible, service-based nature of cloud. This differs from a fixed limit that cannot be expanded, which contradicts the elastic, scalable aspect of cloud. It also contrasts with software that must be installed on every device, a traditional model where computing is tied to individual machines. And it isn’t about local-only storage, since cloud relies on remote storage accessed over a network rather than being confined to a single device.

Cloud computing means you can access computing resources whenever you need them over the internet, without owning or keeping the hardware yourself. The statement that best describes this is the one about on-demand availability of resources, especially storage and computing power. It captures the core idea that you don’t pre-provision fixed capacity; you request what you need, when you need it, and you can scale up or down as requirements change. You typically pay only for what you use, which reinforces the flexible, service-based nature of cloud.

This differs from a fixed limit that cannot be expanded, which contradicts the elastic, scalable aspect of cloud. It also contrasts with software that must be installed on every device, a traditional model where computing is tied to individual machines. And it isn’t about local-only storage, since cloud relies on remote storage accessed over a network rather than being confined to a single device.