Google Compute Engine is an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offering provided by Google Cloud Platform (GCP). It allows you to create and manage virtual machines (VMs) in the cloud. With Compute Engine, you have full control over the virtualized hardware resources and can customize your VMs based on your specific requirements.

Key features and benefits of Google Compute Engine include:

1. Virtual Machines: Compute Engine enables you to create and manage virtual machines in the cloud. You can choose from a wide variety of machine types, including predefined machine types or custom machine types with specific CPU, memory, and storage configurations.

2. Scalability: Compute Engine allows you to scale your infrastructure based on your needs. You can create multiple instances, configure auto-scaling policies, and use load balancers to distribute traffic across your VMs. This enables you to handle varying workloads and ensure high availability.

3. Persistent Disk Storage: Compute Engine provides durable and high-performance block storage called Persistent Disk. It offers both standard and solid-state drive (SSD) options and allows you to attach and detach disks to your VMs. Persistent Disk data is automatically replicated for redundancy.

4. Networking: Compute Engine provides robust networking capabilities. You can create Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) networks to isolate your resources, define subnets, and set up firewall rules for network security. It also integrates with other Google Cloud services, enabling seamless communication between different components of your infrastructure.

5. Images and Snapshots: Compute Engine allows you to create custom images or use pre-configured images to provision your VMs. You can also take snapshots of your disks, which provide a point-in-time backup of your VMs, allowing you to easily restore or clone instances.

6. Management Tools: Compute Engine integrates with various management tools and services provided by Google Cloud Platform. This includes Identity and Access Management (IAM) for managing user access and permissions, Stackdriver for monitoring and logging, and Cloud Deployment Manager for infrastructure provisioning and management through declarative configuration.

7. Pricing and Billing: Compute Engine offers flexible pricing options, including pay-as-you-go and committed use discounts for sustained usage. You are billed for the resources consumed, such as CPU, memory, storage, and network traffic.

Compute Engine is suitable for a wide range of use cases, including hosting websites and applications, running batch or streaming workloads, running containerized applications with Kubernetes, and performing high-performance computing tasks. It provides the flexibility and control needed to manage virtualized infrastructure in the cloud.