What does the term “scalability” in cloud environments refer to?

Scalability in cloud environments specifically refers to the ability to adjust resources as needed. This means that a cloud service can effectively increase or decrease its resources—such as computing power, storage, or bandwidth—based on the current demand. For example, during periods of high traffic, a cloud system can automatically allocate additional resources to maintain performance. Conversely, during times of low demand, it can scale down and release those resources to save costs. This versatility is one of the core advantages of cloud computing, allowing organizations to be agile and responsive to changing requirements without incurring unnecessary costs.

While the other options touch on important aspects of cloud computing, they do not fully capture the essence of scalability. The ability to handle multiple users efficiently is more about capacity management rather than scalability itself, while storage potential relates to resource capability rather than the dynamic adjustment of resources. Preventing service disruptions involves reliability and availability, which are separate considerations from scalability.