What type of computing environment merges an organization's private cloud with a public cloud?

The correct choice is hybrid cloud, which is a computing environment that integrates a private cloud with one or more public clouds. This combination allows organizations to take advantage of both types of clouds, utilizing the scalability and cost-effectiveness of the public cloud while maintaining the control and security of the private cloud.

With a hybrid cloud, businesses can efficiently manage workloads by keeping sensitive data and critical applications in the private cloud while leveraging the public cloud for less sensitive operations or to handle peak loads. This flexibility provides a tailored approach to cloud services, allowing companies to optimize performance, manage resources effectively, and adjust to varying demands.

In contrast, a public cloud refers to services offered over the public internet, a private cloud is dedicated to a single organization and offers more security, and a community cloud is shared by several organizations with a common concern. Understanding these distinctions helps in recognizing why the hybrid cloud option best represents a merging of private and public resources.