Private Clouds and Public Clouds and Hybrid Clouds, Oh My!
Private, public or hybrid? For MSPs, this has probably been a question for quite some time. For some clients, the answer is private. Others will need a hybrid, while fewer businesses more concerned about security and compliance will opt for a public, consumer-geared cloud.
So how can you make the right decision for your clients? In order to do that, they’ll need to know the benefits and drawbacks of each option. ITProPortal recently addressed this issue, so in today’s post, we’ll take a closer look at their reasoning.
Data & Application Centered
The private cloud is centered on the needs of an individual in-house company – including those regarding data and applications that are required in order to function efficiently and effectively.
For example, if an organization has strict rules regarding the privacy of information, then the private cloud is important to them because they can mold the data and applications within it to fit these specific needs – instead of adhering to the standard needs that the public cloud provides.
Such organizations that find the private cloud specifically helpful in adhering to a strict code of privacy regulations are such companies in the financial services or health industries, which have strict rules regarding the control and security of data.
Security
A private cloud is typically more secure than the public cloud because the organization is the only one that uses it – no other company has its data stored in the same space, so there is a less likely breach of security within said cloud.
The information within the private cloud can be managed by the company’s own IT staff and can additionally sit within the network boundaries of the business that is using the private cloud. Having the option to have the private cloud on company grounds could possibly put an organization at ease since they know the physical security of their cloud.
More for Your Money
Although private clouds can be more expensive than a public cloud, the return on investment is typically greater.
“Private clouds allow organizations to have the greater flexibility to shift workloads among those servers as they see spikes in usage or when they deploy new applications. Unlike with public clouds, they don't have to ask a cloud service provider first before they make any changes.”
Placing a private cloud on site can save a company time, in addition to providing the opportunity for the cloud to be more accurately molded to fit an organization’s needs. A public cloud cannot necessarily guarantee service levels or workload flexibilities that a business may need in order to succeed.
The private and public cloud debate often drills down to the preference of the organization: do they wish to share their space with other companies to save cost, or is their information sensitive and they need more security?
In addition to placing a businesses’ mind at ease involving the security of their information, the private cloud allows the business to mold its use to fit the sole needs of the organization so that they can perform at their best level. Of course, that does come at a price.
What are your thoughts on the private and public cloud? Be sure to leave your opinion in the comments section below.
