# Cloud

Concept · [Cloud, hosting and security](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/cloud)

Also called: the cloud, cloud computing, cloud hosting

Computers and storage that you rent over the internet from a large provider, instead of owning the machines yourself.

**For example:** Instead of buying a [server](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/server) and keeping it in a closet, a startup pays a [cloud provider](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/cloud-provider) by the month and can rent more capacity when traffic grows.

## Connects to (10)

- [Server](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/server): A computer that stays on and connected to the internet so it can run your app and answer requests from people's phones and browsers.
- [Hosting](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/hosting): Renting space on a server so your site or app can be reached on the internet at all hours.
- [SaaS](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/saas): Software as a service.
- [Cloud provider](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/cloud-provider): A company that rents out computing services, such as servers, storage and databases, over the internet and on demand.
- [Tulsa AWS User Group](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/tulsa-aws-user-group): A Tulsa user group for people who build on Amazon Web Services and other cloud tools, part of the Techlahoma network.
- [On-premises](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/on-premises): Running software on servers an organization owns and keeps in its own building or data center, instead of in the cloud.
- [LucidLink](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/lucidlink): A cloud file service that lets teams open large files, such as video projects, as if they were on a local drive, without downloading them…
- [IBM](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/ibm): A large technology company that sells software, consulting and computing infrastructure to businesses.
- [Tulsa AWS Community Day](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/tulsa-aws-community-day): A community-led conference in Tulsa for cloud practitioners, developers and architects, with sessions on AWS, cloud computing, AI and…
- [Palo Alto Networks](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/palo-alto-networks): A cybersecurity company that sells firewalls and security software to businesses, schools and governments.

Map view: https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/terms/cloud