Overview of Cloud Services

Typical cloud services include

• Storage (e.g. for photos)
• Applications (e.g. image editing programs)
• Computing services (e.g. Internet server for an own homepage)

For some of these services, the providers do not care for what specific purpose they are used - free usability is then part of the business model.

Cloud services are offered both for a fee and free of charge. In the case of free services, the services are shared with third parties, while in the case of paid services - depending on the contract - the necessary resources are provided exclusively.

A distinction is made accordingly between

• “Private Cloud” - exclusive provision of operating resources (storage space, computing power, etc.) for the ordering entity
• “Public (Public) Cloud” - comprehensive provision of the resources for everyone.

German Authorities or institutions regularly use “private clouds”. Central services such as e-mail, but also web servers or storage space are operated as “private clouds” within authorities and in Germany via their own data centers or those of publicly operated data centers.