What exactly is the cloud?
Looking back at the past decade, the cloud has been the number 1 topic of conversation. From the most tech savvy communities right though to people just trying to use Microsoft Teams. The cloud took centre stage throughout the pandemic where everything relied on being remote. From doctors’ appointments through to company wide meetings, our lives demanded a different way of connecting.
Yet now as we see a return to some level of normality, people are still unsure of what the cloud really is. How does it compare to traditional On-Premise? And also what’s the right solution for your business? To help you make up your mind, we’ve made some key comparisons.
Cost
On-Premise
With on-premise software, companies without their own server infrastructure in place will incur significant expenses to set up a proper environment, with the right power, space and resources before being able to utilise the technology. The main pricing model for an on-premise solution is usually a one-time payment, however the main drawback here is that that cost is usually extremely high.
Cloud
As this is deployed by third party servers, cloud solutions don’t generate additional costs for infrastructure and maintenance of the server environment. Pricing models for operation can vary, with different subscription plans whether that be: per user, per month, per year, per data usage. The cloud offers flexible monthly payments that can scale with your business. Monthly flexible payments, that you’re in control of.
Deployment
On Premise
Selecting an on-premise environment means that your resources are all deployed in-house, within your own IT infrastructure. Therefore, you’re then responsible for maintaining the solution and keeping an eye on all related processes and security, should anything go wrong it’s your responsibility to fix it.
Cloud
Whilst the cloud gives you options: public and private. Public cloud hosting sees your resources hosted on the premise of your hosting services provider, rather than within your own office. However, you still have access to all of your resources, as often as you want, and whenever you want.
Security
On Premise
Operating with an on-premise solution means your business is responsible for setting appropriate user access policies, installing antivirus software, and guarding against cyber-attacks. If mismanaged, on-premise servers can leave an organisation vulnerable to security threats.
Cloud
Security remains the number one barrier to cloud adoption. However, whilst cloud breaches often make the news, this heightened publicity overshadows the extreme levels of security and frameworks that cloud service providers put in place.
So, what next? The cloud offers a secure, scalable and affordable solution to hosting, however some people still have their doubts. Whether you’re interested in opting for an on-premise solution, or you’d like to discuss the opportunities that the cloud can bring to your business, please get in touch to talk to our team of experts.
Comments