What does "IaaS" refer to in cloud computing?

"IaaS" stands for Infrastructure as a Service. This model provides virtualized computing resources over the internet, allowing businesses to rent IT infrastructure such as servers, storage, and networking services. With IaaS, users can dynamically scale resources up or down based on demand, providing flexibility and allowing organizations to avoid the capital expense of purchasing and managing physical servers. This is particularly beneficial for startups and businesses looking to experiment with new applications without heavy investment in hardware.

The other terms do not accurately describe the IaaS model. "Information as a Service" suggests a focus on the management of information rather than infrastructure, "Integration as a Service" refers to cloud-based integration solutions, and "Internet as a Service" does not correspond to a recognized service model in cloud computing. Therefore, the correct understanding of IaaS highlights its role as a foundational service in the cloud computing ecosystem, enabling users to build and manage their own applications and services using the underlying infrastructure provided by cloud service providers.