A cloud solution is the online storage of data. This data can be accessed, downloaded, shared, or moved at any time from anywhere on the Internet. No additional hardware is required. With a cloud solution, data is never lost and can be shared quickly and flexibly with any number of people. In addition, the cloud does not take up any local storage space on the end device. Data security during upload is usually ensured by encrypting the data.
A distinction is made between the public cloud and the private cloud. The key difference between the two is the third-party provider. In the public cloud, the data is hosted externally; in the private cloud, the data remains within the company. IT expertise is required to set up a private cloud, whereas the public cloud does not require in-house IT and the third-party provider takes care of setup, maintenance and hosting. There are costs associated with purchasing servers for a private cloud. With a public cloud, these costs are eliminated because services can be scaled on demand.