All web hosting services are made up of servers in the data centers which provide the webmaster with a completely functional and a running website. The feature that made this technology world famous was the fact that people could access the information from any corner of the world. Earlier, the content of websites where supported by single servers, which later improved into the master slave system. Now is the age of the cloud web hosting.

In cloud web hosting, the data is stored on a server which is connected to a "cloud" of other servers forming a network. This networking feature reduces the dependency on one server as many others can help keep the hosting alive if one falls down. The resources of all the servers can be utilized simultaneously providing much better features to the client.

With the help of such a cloud, a webmaster can opt for better memory and processor utilization which enhances the speed of computing making the website faster and user friendly. It is better than the dedicated or shared web hosting where the complete dependency was on availability of resources. Another feature prominent in cloud type hosting is the compute cycles. This is the measure of the amount of time taken to complete a piece of work. The total number of compute cycles undergone for a particular website amounts to the total outstanding amount that needs to be paid. Hence, the payment only has to be made according to the resources utilized and not reserved.

Although most of the features associated with cloud web hosting are the same as that of the others, there are some differences due to the technicalities and the way the systems are maintained which can be directly witnessed by the users of the services. These include changes in traffic, uptime, hardware and technology. There are times when sudden surges in traffic can be witnessed; this requires hirer bandwidth as a limited one can really slow the performance. The cloud hosting allows for dynamic increase in it. The uptime promised by it is higher due to reduced dependency on a single server leading to fewer errors. There is no need to install additional hardware for small developments as those present on the different servers can be used. A large chunk of space can be made by combining smaller units from multiple servers further increasing the memory utilization efficiency.

Marvels of cloud based web hosting are not limited to just the hardware. Software applications which are completely incompatible due to different platforms can be implemented on the same website. This adds to the functionalities of the website and also provides convenience of work. There are applications available to monitor the resources on different computers which allows for management.

It has only been a decade since the technology became available for public access and hence it has a long way to go before racking up a major share in the market. In the best of cases, the web hosting service provides have been able to sell this service after a lot of promotional activity. Its effectiveness can only be understood by people who have the technical knowhow of the IT department.