Public clouds are managed by a third-party cloud provider. Public cloud computing resources are shared among multiple customers, unlike private clouds.
A public cloud is a cloud service offered to multiple customers by a cloud provider. The term “public cloud” is used to differentiate between the original cloud model of services accessed over the Internet and the private cloud model. Public clouds include SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS services.
Like all cloud services, a public cloud service runs on remote servers that a provider manages. Customers of that provider access those services over the Internet.
What is the difference between a public cloud and a private cloud?
Private vs. Public Cloud
A private cloud is a cloud environment dedicated to a single organization. No other entities share its infrastructure, offering greater control and privacy.
In contrast, a public cloud provides computing resources to multiple customers simultaneously. While each customer’s data and applications remain isolated, the underlying infrastructure is shared.
Think of it like this:
- A public cloud is like renting an apartment—cost-effective, and maintenance is handled by the landlord.
- A private cloud is like renting a house—more private, but typically more expensive, and maintenance may fall on the tenant.
Private clouds can be:
- Hosted by third-party providers, or
- Internal, managed entirely within an organization’s infrastructure.
What Is Multitenancy?
Multitenancy refers to multiple customers sharing the same physical server in a public cloud. For example, data from two companies might reside on the same server, or applications from different clients might run side by side. This model allows cloud providers to maximize efficiency and reduce costs.
Public Cloud: Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Cost Savings: Public clouds reduce IT overhead by outsourcing infrastructure to providers who can operate at scale.
- Reduced Management Burden: Internal teams no longer need to manage physical servers.
- Improved Security Access: Smaller organizations can benefit from the advanced security capabilities of large cloud providers.
Cons:
- Security & Compliance Risks: Multitenancy may raise concerns for organizations with strict regulatory requirements. Although the risk of data leakage is minimal, it can still be a barrier for some.
- Vendor Lock-In: Relying heavily on a single cloud provider’s tools and infrastructure can make it difficult to switch vendors or migrate away in the future.
Would you like a visual diagram to go along with this explanation?
What do ‘multi-cloud’ and ‘hybrid cloud’ mean?
Multi-cloud and hybrid cloud deployments both incorporate public clouds:
- Multi-cloud refers to the use of multiple public clouds concurrently.
- Hybrid cloud deployments combine one or more public clouds with a private cloud, or with on-premises infrastructure.
