Module 3: Cloud Computing - Where Your Data Lives

What does it actually mean when an executive says 'we are moving to the cloud'?

The cloud is not a thing. It is at least three distinct service models running on three distinct hyperscaler architectures, with five distinct deployment patterns. This module gives executives the working model of the cloud that lets them read any IT proposal, audit any cloud bill, and challenge any digital-transformation pitch without taking the marketing at face value.

What you'll learn in this module

• IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS: what each actually delivers, what each costs to operate, and the migration paths between them
• The three hyperscalers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) compared on services, pricing models, and operational characteristics
• The deployment patterns that matter (public, private, hybrid, multi-cloud, edge) and the genuine use cases for each
• Cloud economics: capex-to-opex shift, reserved instances and committed-use, egress traps, FinOps as a discipline
• The shared responsibility model for cloud and where on-premise habits silently leak through to create security gaps

The complete module connects cloud architecture, economics, and governance into a single executive view of what 'moving to the cloud' actually costs and what it actually delivers.