public cloud storage

A form of cloud storage where the enterprise and storage service provider are separate and the data is stored outside of the enterprise's data center. With public cloud storage, or external storage clouds, enterprises and small businesses offload their data storage and archival / backup needs to a third-party cloud storage service provider, freeing them from the expensive costs of having to purchase, manage and maintain on-premises storage hardware and software resources.

In most cases, public cloud storage can also be deployed much faster and with more scalability and accessibility than on-premises data storage. In addition to storing static data, public cloud storage services can often store live data generated by applications running on a company's on-premises resources.

See also Webopedia’s Cloud Computing Dictionary Resource and Cloud Computing Security Challenges.