IBM Cloud Paks are software products for hybrid clouds that enable you to develop apps once and deploy them anywhere. Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) is available as a public cloud service that lets you establish your own private cloud-like computing environment on shared public cloud infrastructure.

Cloud services

• IaaS – Infrastructure as a Service.
• PaaS – Platform as a Service.
• Serverless Computing.
• SaaS – Software as a Service.

SoftLayer Technologies, Inc. (now IBM Cloud) was a dedicated server, managed hosting, and cloud computing provider, founded in 2005 and acquired by IBM in 2013. SoftLayer initially specialized in hosting workloads for gaming companies and startups, but shifted focus to enterprise workloads after its acquisition.

IBM® Cloud Platform is formerly known as IBM Bluemix® Platform. The name remains the same in IBM QRadar®.

Why use the cloud?

• File storage: You can store all types of information in the cloud, including files and email.
• File sharing: The cloud makes it easy to share files with several people at the same time.
• Backing up data: You can also use the cloud to protect your files.

IBM Cloud database solutions offer a complete portfolio of managed services for data and analytics - a hybrid, open source-based approach that addresses the data-intensive needs of application developers, data scientists and IT architects to deliver immediate and longer-term benefits.

There are three major cloud service models: software as a service (SaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS). Cloud service pricing models are categorized into pay per use, subscription-based and hybrid, which is a combination of pay-per-use and subscription pricing models.

In general, there are three main cloud computing models available from the public cloud providers:

• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
• PaaS (Platform as a Service)
• SaaS (Software as a Service)

One of the first movers in cloud computing was Salesforce.com, which in 1999 introduced the concept of delivering enterprise applications via a simple website. Amazon was next on the bandwagon, launching Amazon Web Service in 2002.

Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing service of Amazon.com, is the largest cloud service provider globally. From its data centers, the business provides over 200 fully featured services including compute, storage, and database.

IBM Cloud Satellite IBM Cloud Satellite helps you deploy and run applications consistently across all on-premises, edge computing and public cloud environments from any cloud vendor.

IBM Cloud® is the most open and secure cloud for business, with a next-generation hybrid platform, expertise across 20 industries and advanced AI capabilities. Organizations choose IBM Cloud because it offers a unique combination of benefits: the flexibility of open-source technology, a global footprint and low prices.