A Comparative Analysis of Cloud Service Providers in Performance, Scalability, and Reliability for Smart and Sustainable Systems

Abstract

Cloud computing has become a fundamental enabler of modern digital transformation, offering on-demand scalability, cost efficiency, and global reach. Among public cloud providers, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) dominate with distinct technical and strategic advantages. This paper presents a systematic comparative analysis of these three platforms across performance, scalability, and reliability. The study consolidates secondary data from benchmark suites (SPEC Cloud, Cloud Harmony), industry reports (Gartner, IDC, Forrester), and provider service-level agreements (SLAs). Results show that AWS delivers the broadest global infrastructure and balanced performance, GCP excels in data analytics and machine learning through its specialized Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), and OCI achieves leading throughput in enterprise database workloads while providing stringent compliance and high availability guarantees. We discuss how these differences translate into practical platform selection strategies. The analysis suggests that no single provider is universally optimal: AWS fits organizations seeking versatility and multi-service integration, GCP is most suitable for data- driven and AI-focused workloads, and OCI is advantageous for compliance-sensitive, database-intensive enterprises. The paper provides actionable insights for academics and practitioners evaluating multi-cloud or workload-driven adoption strategies and highlights the relevance of cloud platform selection for supporting smart and sustainable digital systems, including smart cities, environmental data analytics, and technology-enhanced educational infrastructures, while identifying gaps for future experimental benchmarking and cost-effectiveness studies.