The phrase public cloud is used to describe a form of cloud computing in which a company relies on a third-party cloud service provider for services such as servers, data storage and applications, which are delivered to the company through the Internet.
A public cloud can free companies from the potentially expensive costs of having to purchase, manage and maintain on-premises hardware and software infrastructure.
Public clouds can also typically be deployed much faster and with more scalability and accessibility than on-premises infrastructure as a result of the public cloud provider s expertise and existing infrastructure. Public cloud subscribers may pay pay-as-you-go fees or fixed monthly fees for the public cloud services they utilize.
Related Terms: Public cloud storage, hybrid cloud, private cloud and private cloud project
