Which of the following are essential characteristics of cloud computing?

Broad network access and on-demand self-service are indeed essential characteristics of cloud computing.

Broad network access refers to the capability of accessing cloud services and resources from a variety of devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets, over the internet. This characteristic emphasizes the flexibility and convenience of utilizing cloud services from anywhere, simplifying the user experience and promoting collaboration.

On-demand self-service allows users to provision and manage resources as needed, without requiring human interaction with service providers. This characteristic empowers customers to dynamically scale their resource usage based on immediate requirements, enhancing efficiency and responsiveness. Users can quickly set up assets like storage and processing power, aligning resource consumption with actual demand.

These two characteristics are fundamental to cloud computing, making cloud services accessible and user-friendly while providing the agility that modern organizations require.