Cloud popularity has grown rapidly in recent years as more and more businesses see the flexibility that the cloud offers. However, it is not without complexity. The perfect solution for one business is not always the ideal solution for another. There are also different types of cloud computing. Between private, public, and hybrid cloud solutions, it can be difficult to know which one will meet your business needs. In this post, we’ll review and identify the primary pros and cons of each.
What is the Public Cloud?
According to Gartner, a public cloud is “a style of computing where scalable and elastic IT-enabled capabilities are provided as a service to external customers using Internet technologies—i.e., public cloud computing uses cloud computing technologies to support customers that are external to the provider’s organization.”
Examples of public cloud services include Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). The most common benefits of the public cloud are:
- Easy scalability
- Lower costs
- Increased reliability
The biggest disadvantage of the public cloud is the security of organizational data. The question becomes who really owns your data: you or the service your organization is utilizing in the cloud. Most public cloud providers have contracts and regulations that address these concerns for their clients. However, geographical security concerns are at play because essentially your server could be in a different country that is governed by an entirely different set of security and/or privacy regulations, which may be a risk to sensitive data.
What is a Private Cloud?
A private cloud refers to a cloud computing platform that is implemented for your company and hosted locally within a corporate firewall setting, under the control of your IT Professional. Advantages of a private cloud:
- Gains in agility and speed
- Highly customizable
- Improves overall service quality
- Moving aligns with company initiatives and plans
- Increases in data security
Depending on the hardware, licensing, and maintenance requirements, a private cloud model may be a more expensive route to take. However, the benefits—such as data security for compliance purposes—may outweigh the additional cost.
What is a Hybrid Cloud?
A hybrid cloud service utilizes both private and public clouds to perform distinct functions within the same organization. Including the “best of both worlds,” hybrid cloud generally offers the most benefits:
- Scalability
- Cost efficiencies
- Security
- Flexibility
Although a hybrid cloud is becoming a more popular choice among enterprises, it adds complexities that make it more difficult to implement and requires the expertise to develop for a company’s particular business model. Executing a hybrid cloud setup without the right knowledge or skills can result in detrimental consequences such as data breaches or falling out of compliance.
Conclusion
Like with mobile and data strategies, organizations must develop a cloud strategy that fits their needs and goals, their future, and most importantly, their customers. Whether this means sticking with the public cloud, going private, or developing a hybrid model, the goal remains the same—to streamline operations and increase efficiency.
Etech can help you decide what IT solution is best for your company’s needs to meet the requirements of how your business operates. Etech offers private cloud hosting with a dedicated server for your company, customized to meet your needs. Whether you prefer to stay with traditional computing or purchase the hardware and software, Etech can help you maintain and keep your IT infrastructure running or if you prefer to move to a cloud solution, we can analyze the IT needs of your business and recommend a solution to help you meet your goals and IT computing needs. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to learn more.