What Is a Public Cloud? Exploring Its Scalability, Savings, and Security

Whenever I use a public cloud provider, I’m reminded of a frozen yogurt shop. I pick up a cup, and fill it with all the flavors and toppings I want, while also only paying for the amount of food I intend to eat.

In the world of IT infrastructure, a public cloud is very similar.

A public cloud is a service provided by a third-party company where you’re allowed access to various à la carte IT resources like software, servers, and cloud storage.

The public cloud is a cost-effective way to get high-performance computing power without maintaining physical hardware. It’s also rather scalable, too. This is all because the third-party public cloud company sells the resources to be shared among users.

I’m excited to explore the ins and outs of the public cloud with you, since I’ve used it with great results in improving my business and getting over challenges with complex or costly IT infrastructure changes.

Keep reading to learn about everything from public cloud best practices to how it differs from private and hybrid cloud solutions.

Another way I like to view the public cloud is by comparing it to a utility service, like the electricity or gas company in your town.

As a customer of the electricity provider, you simply pay a monthly fee, usually based on the amount of electricity used. There’s no need for me to buy a power plant to get electricity in my home — the infrastructure is managed by the provider.

That’s exactly how the public cloud is revolutionizing IT. It allows businesses to skip expensive infrastructure investments. Instead, they can invest in technology — servers, software, and storage — that’s prebuilt and optimized. That not only leads to more affordable technology, but it helps with scalability and flexibility.

No longer does a small or mid-sized business have to break its budget for access to enterprise-grade software. Public cloud access democratizes these expensive software and technology options.

As a result, large corporations can scale easier, while smaller businesses can level the playing field.

As you research public cloud solutions, I encourage you to document the types of features you need from a cloud solution. There’s no one-size-fits-all product. Some organizations should consider a public cloud, while others might have more success with a private or hybrid cloud. I’ll break down all three options.

Many businesses turn to hybrid cloud solutions to get the benefits of both public cloud and private cloud technology.

Yet, I’ve found that it’s often best for the average small to mid-sized business to consider a public cloud (for flexibility and affordability), then turn to a hybrid solution if security becomes paramount.

Let’s say I sign up for a public cloud provider. It’s like paying for a slice of a gigantic, prebuilt virtual infrastructure.

That infrastructure may include servers for hosting apps and websites, networking equipment, storage devices, and software for database management, development tools, content management systems, and more.

The public cloud provider takes its current infrastructure — all the hardware and software within its data centers — and divides it into virtualized sections. They sell those sections for businesses to use.

In addition, the public cloud provider manages all software and maintains the hardware.

The Three Public Cloud Service Models: IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS

Over my career, I’ve primarily encountered three types of public cloud server models. Each one offers different features to help companies with varying requirements.

For instance, my company may need more control over the infrastructure, while another company may want the cheapest solution possible. Below, I’ll provide features and use cases so you make an informed decision.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

IaaS, or Infrastructure as a Service, offers a flexible environment where you pay for the computing resources — like storage, networking, and virtual machines — but still customize what’s on those resources.

You’re investing in infrastructure, not necessarily software that goes with the infrastructure. I see it as paying for the computer and then having to install the applications and operating system yourself.

When I invest in an IaaS setup, I’m forgoing the capital expenses needed for on-site hardware. Instead, I can scale and remain flexible because I no longer need to manage hardware. Yet, I still have control over the software used.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS offers both the infrastructure and software required for a complete technology setup. It’s like paying a monthly fee for a workshop that already comes with all the tools. PaaS provides the servers, storage, and networking, while also including things like database management systems, development tools, and operating systems.

The goal of PaaS is to pass all infrastructure and software responsibilities to a third-party provider. I receive all the hardware and tools needed to run my business, but I don’t actually purchase, own, or maintain any of it.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software as a Service (SaaS) takes simplicity to the next level. PaaS offers a local, prebuilt platform for you to manage your IT infrastructure. SaaS, on the other hand, functions as a simplified online software you access through a web browser or application.

Everything you need is wrapped into one neat package — all for a monthly fee. You get storage and servers and a user-friendly dashboard for managing a prebuilt infrastructure.

I like to compare SaaS to a streaming service. You pay a monthly fee and get everything you need. You never have to manage a server, and the operating systems and software are all ready to go.

Shared Resources

One of the foundational elements of public cloud computing has to do with its sharing of resources by multiple users. It’s similar to renting an apartment in a multi-unit building. You share the common spaces with other tenants, and potentially share the costs of things like utilities.

Here’s why public cloud providers opt for shared resources instead of dedicated ones:

• It allows them to reach economies of scale with their own infrastructure, so the cost savings get passed to the customer.
• More businesses can take advantage of enterprise-grade tools, democratizing the technology.
• It’s possible to separate environments with virtualization. This allows for more customization and decreases issues with security and performance.

The main concerns I have with the public cloud involve isolation and security. If I have to share resources with other users, doesn’t that mean I’ll lose control and risk my data?

Luckily, the point about virtualization solves most of these problems. You have a completely separate environment from other users.

On-Demand Access

Another reason I love the public cloud revolves around its on-demand access to resources. This is a powerful feature that lets me, for example, tap into an extra server if I expect an increase in traffic.

It’s also possible to request access to software, storage, and other tools based on when you need them.

The beauty of this on-demand access comes in the form of scalability. I can scale whenever I want. With my private, in-house server, I’m stuck with whatever resources I already paid for, even if my demand for those resources decreases on occasion.

Although you have the option to sign up for various smaller and mid-sized public cloud providers, a handful of major brands like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google dominate the market. I’ll explore my top public cloud choices below to guide you during your search.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

AWS, the undisputed leader in market share for public cloud providers, has grown from a solution for Amazon to support its own robust eCommerce site to something it sells to companies all over the world.

Why I like AWS:

• You get more than 200 services to choose from
• It offers machine learning and Internet of Things (IoT) services
• You can expect low latency thanks to AWS’s global data center network

AWS services provide some of the fastest, cheapest, and scalable public cloud solutions available today. I enjoy its comprehensive suite of tools, particularly for brands that need some cloud storage or basic computing.

Microsoft Azure

Azure, Microsoft’s collection of services for the public cloud, lacks the popularity of AWS, yet it’s gaining ground thanks to companies that already use Microsoft products but want to shift to a public cloud.

The main advantage I see with Azure is its integration potential with tools like Windows Server and Office 365.

Why I like Microsoft Azure:

• Integrations with dozens of Microsoft products
• Offerings for hybrid cloud solutions
• Specific tools for enterprise organizations

I particularly enjoy Microsoft Azure for hybrid solutions, since you can start with a full public cloud option and then jump to a partially on-premises infrastructure to protect sensitive data or software.

Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Google eventually added its public cloud solution long after AWS and Azure hit the scene. Having said that, it’s perhaps one of the more unique, high-performance public cloud platforms thanks to Google’s proprietary containerization and machine learning.

Why I like Google Cloud Platform:

• Powerful global network for some of the fastest data transfer speeds on the market
• It has an advanced containerization function you can’t find anywhere else
• You get tools for machine learning and data analytics

I’d also argue that Google Cloud is close to the affordability of AWS, while also giving you the best solutions for performance and containerization. I recommend Google Cloud Platform for data-driven businesses, since it’s a powerhouse when handling big data.

Other Providers

You may wonder if any other options exist. If you’d like to stray away from the behemoths of the public cloud world, or perhaps seek out other features for public cloud services, consider options like:

• IBM Cloud
• Alibaba Cloud
• Oracle Cloud

Some providers, like IBM Cloud, focus on enterprise and hybrid solutions. On the other hand, I would go with Alibaba Cloud if I intended to run a business in some Asian markets. Oracle Cloud makes sense for heavy data usage.

I hope I’ve made it clear that this surge in public cloud usage is far from just a trend. I’ve read about and seen spectacular benefits first hand, all thanks to how the public cloud works when compared to other solutions like standard hosting or private cloud services.

You can find some key benefits of the public cloud below.

Cost Optimization

Have you ever opted to rent an apartment instead of buying a home? Sometimes that makes sense. Perhaps you plan on moving soon, you lack money for a down payment, or interest rates are high.

The public cloud is similar to that, where you forgo costly upfront expenses to save money. Instead, you “rent” the infrastructure, gain access to all resources offered, and keep costs down.

My favorite way to save money with the public cloud is by taking advantage of its pay-as-you-go pricing. In my experience, businesses only spend money on the storage and server resources they actually use. And if your business has a surge or downturn, you can always upgrade or downgrade appropriately.

Scalability and Flexibility

Besides the public cloud’s potential for cost savings, I can’t help but get excited about its flexibility and scalability.

In terms of scalability, it’s all about handling upticks in traffic, whether that’s a brief increase or a gradual growth over the coming months or years.

With the public cloud, I can always access the resources I need. It’s like having a server at a restaurant. Depending on your hunger level, you tell the server how much food you want.

You may only need a side salad. Other times you’ll want the T-Bone steak. It’s the same thing with public cloud providers — you have the flexibility to scale up or down.

Reliability and Redundancy

You may have noticed that the largest public cloud providers have massive networks of data centers all over the world.

Sometimes you can even pick your primary data center to make it closer to your customers.

That spread-out, global server network helps significantly with improving reliability and redundancy.

Let’s say, for instance, that I use public cloud computing for data storage purposes. I run a movie streaming service, so I need to store thousands of large videos and make them accessible for millions of users, simultaneously.

With a server network from my public cloud, my content not only gets served up closer to the user, but when one server struggles, others come in to help.

Global Reach

The global reach of a public cloud infrastructure ties into how you receive a large, global network of tools and servers, similar to what I talked about in the reliability and redundancy section above.

This benefit, however, allows you to store data and run applications in multiple geographic regions.

As a result, my hypothetical app — which gets used by people across Europe and Asia — experiences low latency and higher performance. That’s because the public cloud providers offer data centers in all of those areas.

The best part? You and I never have to leave the office to reach other countries.

Security Features

In the past, I used to talk quite a bit about the security concerns of public cloud computing, but that has changed.

There’s still potential for data breaches, but public cloud providers have closed the gap.

Here’s what to expect:

• Firewalls
• Encryption
• Security audits
• Identity and access management

From my experience, all these tools get built into the infrastructure. This way, you receive them with your public cloud subscription.

I can go on all day about the benefits of public cloud services. But it’s just as important to learn about the challenges and risks.. I’ve made many mistakes while using public cloud services, so I want you to prepare for the roadblocks and potentially avoid any issues I’ve had in the past.

Security and Privacy Concerns

I’ve mentioned it already, but security and privacy used to be a much bigger concern during the infancy of public cloud computing. That has changed, but you still have to look out for some issues.

Here’s what I’ve seen in the past:

• Concerns with data security and privacy thanks to the shared nature of public cloud
• Potential for data breaches, since your servers become a target with so many users on it
• Issues with data sovereignty, especially when you have to work through international data regulations

To avoid security and privacy concerns with a public cloud, opt for a reputable provider that takes security and privacy seriously. I also recommend sticking to a somewhat local provider so they can help you navigate the waters of international data regulations.

Finally, I suggest private or hybrid cloud solutions if you’re worried about privacy and security.

Downtime and Service Disruptions

Major outages and service disruptions, while rare, happen to even the most reputable public cloud providers. AWS has seen service disruptions. So has Google Cloud Platform and Azure. So, you must prepare for situations like this, store backups, and potentially have a secondary cloud solution for redundancy.

Compliance and Regulatory Issues

There are regulations like HIPAA in the U.S. and GDPR in Europe. HIPAA puts strict data privacy rules on healthcare businesses. GDPR affects more industries, often dictating how businesses collect data through websites or apps. Your goal? Find a cloud provider with compliance-friendly tools, features, and certifications.

Vendor Lock-In

I find it nearly impossible to switch from one public cloud platform to another thanks to vendor lock-in. That’s why it’s so important to pick the right one at the beginning of your move to the public cloud.

Having said all that, I know that it’s possible to move from one public cloud provider to another. You just have to navigate proprietary technologies, look for integrations between platforms, and use tools to migrate large sets of data.

Here’s one of the main reasons I recommend the public cloud to so many organizations. It’s useful for a wide range of businesses.

From startups to enterprise organizations and healthcare businesses to app developers, the public cloud comes in handy for everyone.

Startups and Small Businesses

I know startups and small businesses all too well. They require minimal upfront investment in technology. They often can’t gain access to enterprise-grade services. That is unless it’s through a public cloud service.

Here’s how small businesses and startups can use the public cloud:

• For focusing on core business tasks rather than management of IT systems
• To scale a business
• To keep costs low

I’ve seen startups experiencing rapid growth that turn immediately to the public cloud. It’s the easiest way to scale. It’s also the ideal setup to minimize costs and cut down on management of complex servers and other tech.

Large Enterprises

Large enterprises have the money and IT teams to run dedicated servers or private cloud systems. Yet, I’ve encountered many large businesses using public, hybrid, and private cloud computing in creative ways.

Here’s how enterprises use it:

• Customer service systems
• Disaster recovery
• Big data analysis

Think about it. Enterprises need to protect highly sensitive data. Yet, they also must accommodate significant traffic. As a bonus, they need to provide the highest performance possible. All of this is easier with the public cloud.

Software Development and Testing

The public cloud just makes sense for software development. With the public cloud, I can generate a quick test environment and even activate continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines. I’ve also found cloud-based environments best for collaboration between remote team members.

Media and Entertainment

Virtually all your favorite streaming services use a cloud-based infrastructure for redundancy, performance, big data storage, and global content delivery.

Public cloud services offer these features for the media and entertainment world:

• Content delivery networks (CDNs)
• Rapid data access for multiple users to pull content at once
• Cloud storage for massive files

There’s also the benefit of scaling. Large spikes in traffic are commonplace with streaming. Netflix needs to accommodate users during the prime-time hours.

Machine Learning and Big Data Analytics

Cloud computing has the unique ability to handle large datasets and process that data rapidly. In fact, many cloud providers offer specialized packages for data-heavy organizations. I’ve found that the support for large datasets makes the public cloud useful for training complex AI models, handling marketing research, and logging scientific research.

Combined with my own experiences, and from use cases about the public cloud, I’ve put together a list of best practices. From optimizing costs to ensuring security, you’ll want to follow these practices for the best results.

Optimizing Costs

I’ve found some strategies most effective to optimize costs with the public cloud:

• Use auto-scaling to increase or decrease the use of resources based on demand
• Consider reserved instances whenever you have a predictable workload — this allows you to take advantage of discounts
• Use spot instances that terminate interruptible, non-critical workloads

I also recommend reviewing unused resources regularly. Terminate the underutilized and unused resources to save money.

Ensuring Security

To ensure the best security, follow my tips below:

• Encrypt all data (in transit and at rest)
• Consider cloud-native security services
• Turn on least privilege access control
• Activate multifactor authentication

Finally, you should regularly run updates and patches across your systems. This way, you fill any security holes over time.

Disaster Recovery Planning

Even cloud-based providers, with their robust security measures, fall victim to cyberattacks. And there’s the potential for human error in your organization. Both of these can cause disasters, so you should have a recovery plan.

Another way I like to plan for a disaster is by setting up failover mechanisms that run automatically. I also recommend documenting the entire disaster recovery process, so anyone can run it when needed.

Monitoring and Performance Tuning

With cloud-based storage and IT, I want to pass over much of the management and cost burden to the public cloud provider. However, I still have to monitor the system and tune for performance.

Consider using tools to track resource utilization, receive alerts, and check on performance issues. I also suggest running periodic load testing while logging performance metrics on a regular basis.

Small businesses need it. So do enterprise organizations and startups. In my opinion, the benefits of public cloud computing are too great to ignore.

I’ve explained how the public cloud works, which providers to consider, and which advantages and challenges to expect. Now it’s your turn.

Please continue your research on the public cloud, and do your best to test out major providers like AWS, GCP, and Azure. Also, look into others that may offer extra features. At the end of the day, making the right choice from the start is the cheapest and easiest way forward.