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Still trying to grasp the concept of cloud computing? Even with its growing popularity and widespread use, few people actually understand what the cloud is and how it operates.

To make things a little bit easier, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released a set of five essential characteristics of cloud computing back in 2011. Granted, these standards are now over three years old, but they remain relevant and accurate today. This week, we’re going to reveal the essential characteristics of cloud computing as defined by the NIST.

#1) On Demand Self Service — The consumer can perform computing processes without requiring interaction with each service provider.

#2) Broad Network Access — Access to the cloud can be achieved using a multitude of different devices, such as PCs, smartphones, tablet computers, etc.

#3) Resource Pooling — The cloud’s computing resources are pooled to allow for greater efficiency. In other words, clients that use minimal computing power will require less system resources than clients who use large amounts of computing power.

#4) Rapid Elasticity — The cloud can be easily scaled as the number of connected clients increase. Clouds typically grow in size, which is why it’s important for the the system to allow for expansion and scalability.

#5) Measured Service — Ability to measure the cloud’s performance in some way, shape or form (bandwidth, processing, etc.)

“Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. This cloud model is composed of five essential characteristics, three service models, and four deployment models,” wrote the NIST in its document detailing the five essential characteristics of cloud computing.

Familiarizing yourself with the five essential characteristics of cloud computing should give you a better understanding of this setup and how it operates. a Cloud is basically a network in which clients access shared resources from a center hub. The cloud is designed in a manner that allows clients to access it from an array of different devices.

There are numerous benefits associated with cloud computing, which you can read more about in previous posts here at the MyVao.com blog, but one of the most notable is efficiency. With resources being pooled, computing power only goes to clients who need it.

What are your thoughts on cloud computing?