In cloud computing, which model provides virtualized computing resources over the internet?

In cloud computing, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the model that offers virtualized computing resources over the Internet. IaaS provides fundamental computing services such as virtual machines, storage, and networks, allowing users to scale resources as needed without having to invest in physical hardware.

This model is particularly advantageous for businesses that want to maintain flexibility and efficiency in managing their IT infrastructure. Users can deploy their own operating systems and applications, making it a versatile solution for both development and production environments. IaaS is typically billed on a pay-as-you-go basis, which helps organizations optimize costs while scaling their infrastructure based on demand.

In contrast, the other options represent different layers of cloud computing. Platform as a Service (PaaS) offers a platform for developers to build and deploy applications while managing middleware and other services. Software as a Service (SaaS) delivers software applications over the internet, where the provider manages everything including the application and its underlying infrastructure. Database as a Service (DBaaS) is a specific offering focused on providing database management and operations. Each of these models addresses different needs and provides different services, but IaaS specifically focuses on offering the foundational virtualized computing resources.