Cloud

/slaɪdz/

n. “Where ideas float and presentations come alive.”

Slides, or Google Slides, is a web-based presentation application offered by Google as part of its Workspace suite. It allows users to create, edit, and share slide decks entirely in the cloud, removing the friction of installing software or emailing large attachments. A slide is a canvas for text, images, charts, videos, and embedded media, arranged to communicate ideas efficiently and visually.

/dɑks/

n. “Collaborate without the chaos of attachments.”

Docs, commonly known as Google Docs, is an online word processor designed to make writing, editing, and sharing documents seamless. Unlike traditional software locked to a single machine, Docs exists entirely in the cloud, allowing multiple people to view and edit a document simultaneously without sending copies back and forth.

/draɪv/

n. “Your files, floating in the cloud but always within reach.”

Drive, commonly referred to as Google Drive, is a cloud storage and file management service developed by Google. It allows users to store documents, spreadsheets, presentations, images, videos, and other file types in a centralized, accessible location that syncs across devices. The files are available through web browsers, mobile apps, and desktop sync clients.

/ˌeɪ-dʌbəlju-ˈɛs/

n. “Cloud-scale everything, rent it by the hour.”

AWS, short for Amazon Web Services, is the sprawling cloud computing platform from Amazon that transformed how businesses, developers, and governments approach IT infrastructure. It provides on-demand compute power, storage, networking, databases, and dozens of specialized services — all accessible via API, command line, or web console. Essentially, it lets you rent the building blocks of modern digital operations without ever touching physical hardware.

/ˈæʒ.ər/

n. “Rent the computer. Scale the idea.”

Azure is a cloud computing platform operated by Microsoft, designed to provide on-demand computing power, storage, networking, and managed services over the internet. Instead of owning servers, configuring racks, or worrying about physical failures, organizations lease infrastructure and services that expand or shrink as needed.

/ˈpæs/

n. “Build it, run it, forget the plumbing.”

PaaS, short for Platform as a Service, is a cloud computing model that provides a complete platform for developing, testing, deploying, and managing applications without the complexity of maintaining the underlying infrastructure. While IaaS supplies virtualized hardware, PaaS delivers the operating system, runtime environment, databases, development tools, and middleware necessary for software creation and deployment.

/ˈaɪ-æs/

n. “Rent the machines, run your own rules.”

IaaS, short for Infrastructure as a Service, is a cloud computing model that provides virtualized computing resources over the internet. Rather than purchasing and maintaining physical servers, storage, and networking hardware, organizations can provision these resources on demand from a provider. This gives unprecedented flexibility, allowing users to scale up or down based on workload requirements without the traditional capital expenditures of a data center.

/sæs/

n. “Software without the box — just sign in and use it.”

SaaS, short for Software as a Service, is a model of delivering software where applications are hosted centrally and accessed over the internet rather than installed locally on individual machines. This allows users to leverage complex software systems without managing installation, updates, or infrastructure. Examples include productivity suites, email platforms, cloud storage, and enterprise tools.