What is a primary characteristic of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)?

The primary characteristic of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the provision of virtualized computing resources over the internet. This model enables users to access and manage essential IT resources such as virtual machines, storage, and networks without needing to invest in physical hardware. Instead, users can scale resources up or down based on their specific requirements, which provides flexibility and cost-efficiency.

IaaS allows businesses to focus on their core operations while relying on the cloud service provider to manage the underlying infrastructure. The user has control over the operating systems, storage, and deployed applications, emphasizing the utility of virtualized resources at their disposal. This contrasts with other models, which may involve different levels of management and oversight by the service provider.