Many business owners have finally made the decision to move their computing tasks and even their data to the “cloud”. This is typically done at the urging of their technology services company. Some of the benefits, including reduced costs and anytime/anywhere access to corporate systems is appealing. However, some business owners have security concerns and question if they can “be in the cloud” yet still maintain privacy. In this post, we will define the various cloud options. Thus, business owners can determine which route is ideal for them.
The Public Cloud
Any technology service using shared hosted resources with others is considered part of the public cloud. Office 365 and Google Drive are two such examples. They both offer anytime/anywhere access to users. Additionally, the added benefit of minimal or no costs for usage and/or infrastructure maintenance. These are two applications hosted by well-known technology companies. However, there are many other industry-specific applications and/or services that companies may provide through the public cloud.
A Private Cloud
Using their own hardware resources, large companies typically host their own private clouds, providing the convenience of anytime/anywhere access to their employees. However, even small companies can have their own private cloud, either hosted on their own premises or on a external provider’s hardware resources, typically in an off-site location. More and more, smaller companies are considering the advantages of maintaining a private cloud, since a private cloud can also incorporate other services such as data storage, application hosting, and data backup and disaster recovery.
The Best of Both Worlds
Some companies decide to take a hybrid approach and use some applications and services offered in the public cloud, while also maintaining a private cloud. By utilizing the best of both worlds, a company can take advantage of the lower costs typically associated with using the public cloud, while still keeping vital corporate data safe and secure on their own private cloud infrastructure.
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