Hybrid, public or private? Your options in the cloud
When it comes to making the right cloud decision, there are many things to consider. After all, what works for one business may not work for another.
If your business is choosing to move into the cloud, there are many factors to consider — stability, scalability and security, to name a few. Which is why it’s important to understand the difference between each, the pros and cons, and which applications fit which cloud best.
The public cloud: secure and affordable
Cloud computing is a great source of shared infrastructure and has enabled businesses to grow and innovate faster than ever before. Public cloud providers allow businesses to access resources they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. This reduces the cost of IT spending and has driven the growth of many startups.
- If you prefer to outsource hardware maintenance, storage and networking to a provider, a public cloud solution is ideal.
- For businesses with workloads that are variable and require scaling, public cloud solutions offer greater elasticity.
- Public cloud solutions are also ideal for businesses that need to deploy workloads across multiple regions.
The private cloud: accessible and controlled
Unlike a public cloud where you share resources, a private cloud means private responsibility. As opposed to a service provider, you are now responsible for delivering your own service. This also means having to invest in infrastructure so you have specific applications and storage on-hand.
- Private clouds make sense for predictable workloads that have little variation in billing, costs and compatibility.
- Private cloud platforms can be convenient to implement. Businesses can sustain a variety of workloads and toolsets.
- Databases are suited to private cloud environments. Businesses can maintain ownership of data, whilst enabling transfer to another provider if necessary.
The hybrid cloud: flexible and scalable
One of the biggest advantages of the cloud is the capability to combine technologies and existing systems to create a fully-customised, hybrid solution. Hybrid clouds give businesses the luxury of both cloud and on-premise solutions. They offer the best of both worlds, enabling businesses to cap their investments in infrastructure when they need to, whilst still enjoying the full benefits of cloud capability.
- A hybrid cloud is the best option for businesses that need to be in control of technology costs, maintenance and software licensing, while enabling access to the latest features.
- Rather than choosing one or the other, you can use the best of both to achieve the highest levels of flexibility, cost efficiency and performance.
- Hybrid is ideally suited for businesses that require the use of legacy technology while taking advantage of new features available in the cloud.
At the end of the day, it’s all about what your business needs
Cloud computing technologies are continually evolving, but experts agree on one thing — there’s no such thing as a single ‘right’ cloud solution. The right choice for any organisation depends on a company’s unique priorities and needs. As you evaluate your options, ask yourself: how can cloud computing help my business? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Is there any specific use case that would benefit from investing in a particular solution? Regardless of the answers, make sure you have the right cloud partner at your side to help you choose which is best for you.
