Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of cloud computing?

High cost of hardware maintenance is indeed not a typical characteristic of cloud computing. One of the primary advantages of cloud computing is its cost-effectiveness. By utilizing cloud services, organizations reduce the need for extensive on-premises hardware and its associated maintenance costs. In cloud environments, the service provider manages the underlying physical infrastructure, which means customers do not have to invest in high-cost hardware and maintain it themselves. Instead, they benefit from the scalability and flexibility of cloud resources without the burden of direct hardware costs.

On-demand self-service, broad network access, and resource pooling are fundamental characteristics of cloud computing. On-demand self-service allows users to provision computing resources as needed without requiring human intervention from the service provider. Broad network access ensures that services are available over the network and can be accessed through standard mechanisms (for example, through smartphones, tablets, and laptops). Resource pooling is the model that enables the cloud provider to serve multiple customers using a multi-tenant model, where physical and virtual resources are dynamically assigned and reassigned based on demand.