[Aaron Elliott]

A virtualized environment is multiple environments running independently of each other. These environments are sharing the same hardware in the single device. changes made to one environment are contained to that unique environment.

Cloud environments are a single pool of resources that can be accessed through typically a portal and are tailored to the needs of the time of use. These resources can be used from almost anywhere as long as an internet connection is available.

A virtual environment costs more to expand, as more hardware is required to effectively add more virtual environments, taking up more physical space on the property as well. Cloud environments can be quickly expanded and add more storage as necessary.