cloud provider
compound.compound. a company that offers computer services over the internet, such as storage or website hosting. Instead of using your own hard drive, you use their powerful computers to save files or run apps.
compound. a commercial entity that delivers computing resources—such as servers, storage, databases, and software—via the internet. These services are typically offered on a pay-as-you-go basis, allowing clients to scale infrastructure without maintaining physical hardware.
Our company uses a cloud provider to store all our customer data.
Choosing the right cloud provider depends on your budget and how much technical support your team needs for their web applications.
Migrating to a major cloud provider allowed the startup to handle sudden spikes in traffic without investing in expensive on-site server architecture.
A compound formed from the noun cloud, used as a metaphor for the internet in network diagrams since the 1970s, and the noun provider. The term gained prominence as the utility computing model shifted from local hardware to remote infrastructure.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often used in business and technology contexts; frequently paired with 'major' or 'third-party'.
Last updated July 22, 2026