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## Understanding the Cloud Continuum 

Meeting the needs of businesses requires that IT provide a variety of different types of cloud services. Understanding the characteristics of a continuum of cloud services helps you understand what’s required to meet certain business goals. 

All cloud environments aren’t equal. Therefore, you need to understand the different types of cloud models available to support the business. Your decision of what type of cloud service to select is based first and foremost on your security and service level requirements. It may be straightforward to assume that all public clouds are the same and all private clouds work in the same way. But in reality there are shades of gray. 

For example, you may have a public cloud service that’s only available to customers who sign a long-term agreement. You may have a private cloud that’s an evolution of your data center. Some public clouds may offer a sophisticated level of security offerings while other public clouds have virtually no security at all. 

<img src='content_image/677768.jpg'>

Ultimately, you need to select the type of cloud service that provides use of the right resources at the right time with the right level of security and governance. 

The continuum of cloud services, depicted in Figure 1-1, includes both public and private services that meet different needs within an organization. 

