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===Public===
{{self-referencehatnote|For a comparison of cloud-computing software and providers, see [[Cloud-computing comparison]]}}
Cloud services are considered "public" when they are delivered over the public Internet, and they may be offered as a paid subscription, or free of charge.<ref>{{cite web|first=Margaret|last=Rouse|title=What is public cloud?|access-date=12 October 2014|url=http://searchcloudcomputing.techtarget.com/definition/public-cloud|publisher=Definition from Whatis.com|archive-date=16 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016022343/http://searchcloudcomputing.techtarget.com/definition/public-cloud|url-status=live}}</ref> Architecturally, there are few differences between public- and private-cloud services, but security concerns increase substantially when services (applications, storage, and other resources) are shared by multiple customers. Most public-cloud providers offer direct-connection services that allow customers to securely link their legacy data centers to their cloud-resident applications.<ref name="idc">{{cite web |date=2008-09-23 |title=Defining 'Cloud Services' and "Cloud Computing" |url=http://blogs.idc.com/ie/?p=190 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722074526/http://blogs.idc.com/ie/?p=190 |archive-date=2010-07-22 |access-date=2010-08-22 |publisher=IDC}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cloud.oracle.com/en_US/fastconnect|title=FastConnect {{!}} Oracle Cloud Infrastructure|website=cloud.oracle.com|access-date=2017-11-15|archive-date=2017-11-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115232022/https://cloud.oracle.com/en_US/fastconnect|url-status=live}}</ref>
Alternative cloud providers are often part of multi-cloud strategies, where organizations use multiple cloud services—both from hyperscalers and specialized providers—to optimize performance, compliance, and cost efficiency. However, they do not necessarily serve as direct replacements for hyperscalers, as their offerings are typically more specialized.<ref name=":10" />
=== Alternative Cloud Providers ===
Several alternative cloud providers offer specialized services that differentiate them from hyperscalers.
* [[CoreWeave]] – Specializes in high-performance computing and GPU-accelerated workloads, often used for AI, graphics rendering, and scientific simulations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CoreWeave looks to raise up to $2.7bn in IPO |url=https://www.ft.com/content/fcd64fbf-6397-4768-87f4-21f1e191b46b |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=www.ft.com |date=20 March 2025 |language=en-GB |last1=Steer |first1=George |last2=Kinder |first2=Tabby }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bort |first=Julie |date=2025-03-10 |title=In another chess move with Microsoft, OpenAI is pouring $12B into CoreWeave |url=https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/10/in-another-chess-move-with-microsoft-openai-is-pouring-12b-into-coreweave/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Tan |first1=Eli |last2=Metz |first2=Cade |date=2025-03-18 |title=How CoreWeave Went From Crypto Mining to Wall Street's A.I. Bellwether |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/technology/coreweave-wall-street-ai-ipo.html |access-date=2025-03-20 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
* [[Scaleway]] - '''–''' A French cloud provider offering infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) solutions, with a focus on GDPR compliance and regional data sovereignty.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Comment |first=Niva Yadav |date=2024-05-23 |title=Scaleway expands to 52 countries, buys 1,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs |url=https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/scaleway-expands-to-52-countries-buys-1000-nvidia-h100-gpus/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=www.datacenterdynamics.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=French cloud Scaleway starts renting Alibaba's RISC-V SoC |url=https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/04/scaleway_risc_v_server_alibaba/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250120191737/https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/04/scaleway_risc_v_server_alibaba/ |archive-date=2025-01-20 |access-date=2025-03-20 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[MongoDB Inc.|MongoDB]] Atlas is a fully managed database-as-a-service (DBaaS) that allows users to deploy and operate [[MongoDB]] databases on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Carter |first=Luce |title=Beginning MongoDB Atlas With . NET: Flexible and Scalable Document Data Storage for . NET Developers |date=2024 |publisher=Apress L. P |isbn=978-1-4842-9550-2 |___location=Berkeley, CA}}</ref>
* OVHcloud – A France-based cloud provider known for its emphasis on data sovereignty, offering private cloud, dedicated servers, and European-hosted cloud solutions'''.''' <ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-21 |title=OVHcloud positioned as a 'Major Player' in the new IDC MarketScape report |url=https://www.techerati.com/press-release/ovhcloud-positioned-as-a-major-player-in-the-new-idc-marketscape-report/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Techerati |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=Aug 2024 |title=IDC MarketScape: European Public Cloud IaaS 2024 Vendor Assessment |url=https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=EUR151035423 |journal=IDC MarketScape |volume=EUR151035423}}</ref>
* Lambda Labs – Provides GPU cloud computing tailored for AI research, deep learning, and machine learning development.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-19 |title=AI cloud startup Lambda raises $480 million in new round; Nvidia among investors: Reuters |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/19/ai-cloud-startup-lambda-raises-480-million-in-new-round-nvidia-among-investors.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Comment |first=Sebastian Moss |date=2024-10-10 |title=True believers: Lambda Labs' AI cloud dreams |url=https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/analysis/true-believers-lambda-labs-ai-cloud-dreams/ |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=www.datacenterdynamics.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-19 |title=AI infrastructure startup Lambda closes $480M investment |url=https://siliconangle.com/2025/02/19/ai-infrastructure-startup-lambda-closes-480m-investment/ |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=SiliconANGLE |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Young-sil |first=Yoon |date=2025-03-04 |title=Shinhan Backs AI Cloud Innovator Lambda Labs with $9.3 Million Investment |url=https://www.businesskorea.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=236658 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250313123102/https://www.businesskorea.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=236658 |archive-date=2025-03-13 |access-date=2025-04-07 |work=Businesskorea |language=ko}}</ref>
* Paperspace – Specializes in cloud computing solutions for AI and machine learning, with a focus on scalable GPU access. <ref>{{Cite web |last=MSV |first=Janakiram |title=DigitalOcean Adds AI Capabilities With Acquisition Of Paperspace |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/janakirammsv/2023/07/10/digitalocean-adds-ai-capabilities-with-acquisition-of-paperspace/ |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=DigitalOcean Holdings Inc. (NYSE:DOCN): Accelerating AI and ML Growth with Paperspace Acquisition |url=https://www.insidermonkey.com/blog/digitalocean-holdings-inc-nysedocn-accelerating-ai-and-ml-growth-with-paperspace-acquisition-1419163/ |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=Insider Monkey |language=en-US}}</ref>
* RunPod – Offers cloud computing infrastructure optimized for AI applications and model deployment. <ref>{{Cite news |title=How AI Expansion Helps Companies Like RunPod Find New Niches to Make Money |url=https://www.inc.com/kit-eaton/how-ai-expansion-helps-companies-like-runpod-find-new-niches-to-make-money.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240601234540/https://www.inc.com/kit-eaton/how-ai-expansion-helps-companies-like-runpod-find-new-niches-to-make-money.html |archive-date=2024-06-01 |access-date=2025-04-08 |work=Inc.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=RunPod Partners with vLLM to Accelerate AI Inference |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241007574931/en/RunPod-Partners-with-vLLM-to-Accelerate-AI-Inference |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241207151019/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241007574931/en/RunPod-Partners-with-vLLM-to-Accelerate-AI-Inference/ |archive-date=2024-12-07 |access-date=2025-04-08 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomason |first=James |date=2024-05-08 |title=Intel and Dell's $20M bet on RunPod suggests the cloud giants are ill-equipped for the AI revolution |url=https://venturebeat.com/ai/exclusive-runpod-secures-20m-from-dell-and-intel-as-demand-soars-for-ai-clouds/ |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Similar concepts==
* [[Edge computing]]
* [[Edge device]]
* [[Exchange-traded fund]]
* [[File system]]
** [[Clustered file system]]
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