When looking at cloud computing options for your business, you should examine the benefits and the drawbacks of both public and private cloud services. A public cloud gives you the flexibility to work from virtually anywhere and share and collaborate on data with many different people. A private cloud, on the other hand, gives you the added security you need to protect your important files from prying eyes, but sacrifices some of the wider-scale availability you get with a public cloud. Today, most companies are choosing a hybrid cloud computing approach in order to gain access to the benefits of both public and private cloud options.
The Benefits Of A Public Cloud
The public cloud model is much more open when compared to private options. Often, your data is stored on servers with that of other companies, even though you can only see your files. These solutions are much more cost-effective for businesses and make it easier for them to share data among their own employees, vendors, and even customers.
The Advantages Of A Private Cloud
This is a more closed cloud system that offers tighter security and more stringent controls. Private clouds are usually only used and able to be seen by the individual companies operating them. They are the perfect solution for storing files that need more security and are the right place to host applications and other business-critical software and data. Private clouds are more expensive, however, when compared to available public cloud storage options.
Hybrid Solutions Provide Balance
When business owners are searching for more cost-effective solutions for their storage needs, they are often looking for solutions that give them easy access to their data and give them the security and flexibility they need at a price they consider affordable. For many companies, the solution to storage needs lies in a hybrid approach using both private and public clouds for storage. Some companies may even choose to host some files locally on their own servers and move the rest to a public cloud environment.
However business professionals choose to break it apart, a hybrid solution is often the best option for businesses looking to expand the storage options while keeping costs under control. For mission-critical applications and sensitive data, a smaller private cloud can be used, and for other aspects of the business, a public cloud is almost always the best and most cost-effective solution. Ideally, these environments will work across the business as one homogeneous and seamless storage solution, making it easy for everyone in the company to understand and use them.
Cloud storage solutions have become one of the key ways in which companies can reduce costs while increasing their storage capabilities and ability to share files and work from virtually any location. Hybrid solutions are often the best fit for companies as a combination of the cloud options will give them the security they need while offering added work flexibility at a reduced cost.
