You've used Amazon to buy a book. You've used Microsoft Word to write a letter. You've used Google to look something up. But here's something most people don't know: those same three companies — plus a fourth called Oracle — also quietly run most of the internet behind the scenes.
Every time you stream a film, check your bank balance, or receive an email, there's a good chance the computers making that happen belong to one of these four. Understanding why matters more than you might think.
Here's where the cloud came from, who runs it, and — if you're curious — how to have a look for yourself.
Where did "the cloud" come from?
In the early 2000s, companies that built websites faced a tedious problem: they had to buy their own physical computers, store them in buildings, maintain them, and replace them every few years. It was expensive, slow, and wasteful.
Then, around 2006, Amazon had a realisation. They'd built a vast network of computers to run their own online shop — and most of those computers sat idle most of the time. Why not rent out the spare capacity to other businesses?
That idea became Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world's first major cloud computing platform. Instead of buying computers, companies could now rent them by the hour — paying only for what they used, like electricity.
Google and Microsoft watched, and quickly built their own versions. Oracle, a company that had been selling business software since the 1970s, followed later. Today, these four companies rent computing power to almost every business on earth.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) — the original
AWS launched in 2006 and remains the largest cloud platform in the world. If you've used Netflix, Airbnb, LinkedIn, or the BBC iPlayer, you've been using AWS computers — you just didn't know it.
AWS is known for having the widest range of services: over 200 different tools covering everything from storing photos to running artificial intelligence. Large companies and start-ups alike rely on it because it was first, and first means the most experienced.
Microsoft Azure — for businesses already using Windows
Microsoft launched Azure in 2010. Its great advantage is that it slots neatly into companies that already use Microsoft products — Windows computers, Outlook email, Teams meetings, Excel spreadsheets.
For a business that runs on Microsoft software, choosing Azure is a natural step: everything works together without the friction of switching. This makes Azure the most popular cloud platform among large, established organisations — banks, hospitals, government departments.
Google Cloud (GCP) — built for data and intelligence
Google Cloud Platform launched in 2011. Google's particular strength is data: searching through vast amounts of information very quickly, running machine learning (where computers learn from patterns), and processing video — which makes sense, given that Google also owns YouTube.
Companies that need to analyse enormous datasets — retailers studying buying habits, scientists processing research, streaming services recommending films — often choose Google Cloud for these specific tasks.
Oracle Cloud — the quiet giant
Oracle is less well known to the general public, but it has quietly powered the back-office systems of large corporations for decades. Banks use Oracle databases to track your transactions. Airlines use Oracle software to manage booking systems.
Oracle's cloud platform, launched properly around 2016, is aimed squarely at these large enterprises — companies that already run Oracle's older software and want to move it into the cloud without rebuilding everything from scratch. It's less flashy than AWS or Google, but deeply embedded in industries that can't afford to get things wrong.
Which one is "best"?
There isn't a single answer, and most large organisations use more than one. The choice usually comes down to what you already have and what you need to do.
- Starting from scratch, widest options: AWS
- Already use Microsoft Office / Windows: Azure
- Need to analyse large amounts of data: Google Cloud
- Running a large enterprise with existing Oracle software: Oracle Cloud
How to try one yourself — for free
All four offer a free tier — a limited amount of computing power you can use at no cost, which is enough to experiment and learn.
- AWS Free Tier — 12 months of limited free access plus some services that stay free forever. Start at aws.amazon.com/free
- Azure Free Account — £150 credit for 30 days plus 55 always-free services. Start at azure.microsoft.com/free
- Google Cloud Free Tier — $300 credit for 90 days plus always-free products. Start at cloud.google.com/free
- Oracle Cloud Free Tier — genuinely generous always-free services with no expiry. Start at oracle.com/cloud/free
In a nutshell
- AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle are companies that rent computing power — so businesses don't have to own their own computers.
- Amazon invented the idea in 2006; Microsoft, Google, and Oracle followed — each with different strengths.
- All four offer free accounts where you can explore at no cost — no credit card required for the basics.
What should I do?
- If you're just curious — read a little about AWS or Azure. Both have free beginner courses online that explain how it all works in plain English.
- If you run a small business — consider moving your files to Microsoft OneDrive (part of Azure) or Google Drive. Both are free up to a point and far safer than storing everything on a single laptop.
- If you're considering a career in technology — cloud skills are among the most in-demand in the industry. An AWS or Azure beginner certificate is achievable in a few weeks of self-study.
- If none of this applies to you — that's completely fine. You're already using these services every day without thinking about it, which is rather the point.
The next time someone mentions "the cloud" or "we're hosted on AWS," you'll know exactly what they mean. Four companies built the infrastructure that runs the modern world — and now you know which four, and why.
