Large and small businesses can _____ their reliance on internal IT infrastructure by utilizing cloud-based technologies.

Large and small businesses can _____ their reliance on internal IT infrastructure by utilizing cloud-based technologies.

• A. Increase
• B. Replace
• C. Decrease
• D. Expand

Answer: (C)

Cloud-based technologies shift much of the workload away from on-site assets. By moving compute, storage, and applications to cloud services, organizations pay for what they use and can scale quickly, while the cloud provider handles maintenance, updates, and resilience. This reduces, rather than eliminates, the need for a large on-premises IT footprint, so their reliance on internal infrastructure decreases. Some internal systems may still exist for latency, security, or compliance reasons, but overall dependence drops. The other options suggest increasing or replacing reliance, or expanding it, which isn’t how cloud services typically affect on-prem infrastructure.

Cloud-based technologies shift much of the workload away from on-site assets. By moving compute, storage, and applications to cloud services, organizations pay for what they use and can scale quickly, while the cloud provider handles maintenance, updates, and resilience. This reduces, rather than eliminates, the need for a large on-premises IT footprint, so their reliance on internal infrastructure decreases. Some internal systems may still exist for latency, security, or compliance reasons, but overall dependence drops. The other options suggest increasing or replacing reliance, or expanding it, which isn’t how cloud services typically affect on-prem infrastructure.