Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of cloud computing?

Cloud computing is defined by several key characteristics, and limited accessibility is not one of them. In fact, cloud computing is designed to provide broad network access, allowing users to access resources and services from a wide range of devices and locations, as long as there is an internet connection. This concept of giving users convenient and flexible access to computing resources is central to the benefits of cloud utilization.

On-demand self-service, resource pooling, and rapid elasticity are all fundamental aspects of cloud services. On-demand self-service allows users to provision resources as needed without requiring human intervention from the service provider. Resource pooling refers to the provider's ability to serve multiple customers using a multi-tenant model, which enables efficient resource allocation and management. Rapid elasticity describes the ability of cloud resources to scale up or down quickly, accommodating changing demands. Thus, the correct answer highlights that limited accessibility contradicts the foundational principles of cloud computing.