In simple terms, the cloud makes it possible to use powerful computing resources and services over the internet, making things easier, more flexible, and often more affordable for both individuals and businesses.

Imagine a company running an old accounting system on aging servers. They start by listing all related hardware and software, then choose a lift-and-shift approach to move it quickly to the cloud. Once it’s running smoothly, they switch to a managed cloud database to save on maintenance. Over time, they update parts of the system to take full advantage of the cloud’s scalability and new features.