Public vs Private Cloud? Most businesses going through digital transformation phase have considered this question. Here are some thoughts to help.
Public vs Private Cloud? Most businesses going through a digital transformation phase have considered this question while strategizing. Company executives are tasked with the decision of where and how to store and process their growing data. Furthermore, the different types of cloud offerings from a multitude of providers mean that enterprises have to find the right choice for their specific needs. Hosted? On-Premise? Public? Private? Hybrid? There are a lot of variables that need to be addressed.
So, going back to public vs private cloud, what are the considerations that allow your business to make the right choice? Let us examine.
#1 - Regulatory Compliance
Companies often collect user data such as personal information, location, payment information, much more. These kinds of data, particularly of personal nature, are governed by numerous privacy regulations, varying from countries and geographical regions. For example, a Canadian citizen's personal information might not be allowed to be stored in a hosted cloud facility in the US, depending on industry regulations. So, companies have to find a solution (can be public or private) whereby the data is stored according to the regulations.
Why are such regulations in place? These data regulations protect people and organizations from their data being stored and used for nefarious purposes like unauthorized selling, stockpiling, or data usage. In some cases, companies prefer not to host sensitive data in a shared environment such as a public cloud and opt for a private cloud. If the information your company stores is not so sensitive or bound by these regulations, public cloud storage can make sense in terms of cost-effectiveness and similar factors. That gets us to:
#2 - Cost Factor
Let's be clear. Whether the choice is public cloud vs private cloud or whether your company is choosing a hybrid solution, the decision can't be made easily looking just at the price tag. Cloud environments are complex and need detailed scrutiny and compatibility checks before the cost factor comes in. Of course, it is good to work with an allocated budget, but that shouldn't be the sole consideration. For many cloud solutions, the upfront costs can seem a bit high. But, most cloud providers ensure that upgrades and updates are included in the subscription-based models. Compared to traditional architectures, where companies need to pay up to allocate the most significant upgrades, this factor is a major boon.
The choice in public vs private cloud in terms of the cost comes down to your focus on business outcomes. Are there any features in one or the other that would significantly impact your business model? Comparing each pricing model with projected returns can also be an excellent strategy to implement.
#3 - Technical Requirements
Creating a comprehensive list of technical requirements for your cloud needs will be a good starting point in determining public vs private cloud strategy. This checklist can include factors like operability of varied database frameworks, bandwidth, licensing, storage, load balancing, scalability requirements, and more.
#4 - Security in Public vs Private Clouds
In a public cloud model, multiple users share server services without any overlap. The shared nature is often a cause for concern for enterprises, but public clouds are built so that all security measures are in place. Over the years, public cloud services and technology have grown and adapted to tackle potential attacks efficiently.
For private clouds, the non-shared ownership model gives enterprises to amp up the security. Companies can have their own layer of security and authorization measures installed if need be. This level of customization is not found in public clouds, as the provider handles the security measures. Hence, private clouds are ideal in terms of security for companies with sensitive data and compliance requirements, companies who need an additional level of customization to achieve their goals.
VEXXHOST Cloud Solutions
Ultimately, the public vs private cloud question depends on what suits individual company needs, strategies, and user profiles. But it goes without saying that enterprises should move forward from archaic infrastructures to more agile options such as cloud. At VEXXHOST, our public and private cloud services are based on OpenStack. Deploying OpenStack clouds makes the environments free from licensing fees or vendor lock-ins.
Speaking of private clouds, you can now run on a fully agile and customized cloud from VEXXHOST, with no licensing fees and smooth 2-week migration. In fact, we're ready to put our money where our mouth is. We're so confident in being able to save you at least 20% or more on your current cloud infrastructure expenditure that if proven wrong- we'll give you $1,000 credit to our public cloud.
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