Best Cloud Solutions for Business: Hosted vs. On-Premise vs. Hybrid

To build an on-premise cloud infrastructure or choose a hosted one? Is there a way to get the best of both worlds? Finding the right cloud solution for your business can be challenging. Service technology delivery options vary based on their deployment method. This article explores different cloud solutions and helps you choose the one that meets your needs. 

On-Premise Options

When choosing on-premise servers, your company is responsible for installing, managing, and maintaining them. Businesses like this option as it provides them with full control of their data. Most importantly, on-premise data centers are not reliant on internet connections. However, when compared to hosted cloud services, they have multiple disadvantages. Here are some of them:

On-Premise Data Centers Require Greater Capital Investments

On-premise servers require significant capital investments, compared to their Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) or cloud alternatives. Your organization is responsible for purchasing, installing, securing, and maintaining hardware components. Precisely because of that, on-premise solutions are a good option for companies that already hire a team of experienced IT professionals.

Managing Security is your Responsibility

For many companies, having greater control of their data is a distinct advantage of on-premise solutions. However, keep in mind that you are the one responsible for ensuring data security. Cyberattacks, theft, and physical damages to hardware may result in data loss. Therefore, if you do not have the expertise and the right tools, maybe installing on-premise hardware is not the right option for you.

Scaling is More Complex and Expensive

When compared to cloud storage, on-premise servers are more difficult to upscale. As your business’ demands grow, you would need to invest in additional hardware and software components.

To Increase the Flexibility of On-Premise Cloud, Invest in HCI

On-premise solutions are outdated. To give them a boost, consider implementing HCI systems. Simply put, a hyper-converged infrastructure virtualizes the components of traditional hardware-defined servers. 

HCI is not an alternative to private or hybrid cloud infrastructures. On the contrary, it is a building block for your cloud migration. It allows you to build a private cloud-like infrastructure onsite. By pooling your resources together, HCI reduces the complexity of your IT management and establishes an interconnected IT infrastructure that lets you smoothly migrate to the cloud.

Hosted Cloud Servers

Cloud solutions are hosted and delivered via the virtual server. Your employees usually access them via their desktop or mobile app. Companies are making a shift to cloud infrastructures for multiple reasons:

Cost-Effectiveness

Hosted cloud service providers charge a monthly fee. The good thing is that you can choose the plan that meets your current business goals. You pay only for the services you use. Once your business starts growing, you can easily upscale your cloud infrastructure.

Most importantly, cloud solutions minimize your initial investments since you will not need to purchase network storage, server hardware, backup systems, power systems, etc. 

Greater Security

When switching to the cloud, many companies have security concerns. If you are one of them, you do not have to worry. Reliable cloud hosts provide cyber-security monitoring options that are often more detailed and efficient than in-house monitoring systems. 

Most importantly, they are responsible for protecting your sensitive data. They use encryption to make your files less accessible by hackers or unauthorized users. Moreover, they make it easier for your company to meet industry compliance standards.

Better Scalability and Flexibility

When compared to hosting data on local servers, cloud hosting is more flexible. A provider is taking care of your IT hosting and infrastructure needs, meaning your IT team will have more time to spend on other aspects of their jobs.

Moreover, cloud infrastructures are easily scalable. For example, as your business’ needs rise, your cloud provider will be able to address them almost instantly. You will not need to purchase additional hardware and software components to update your IT infrastructure. 

Increased Mobility

Unlike data hosted onsite, your assets kept in the cloud need a consistent mobile network. On the other hand, cloud computing provides your team with more flexibility. Since it is delivered over desktop and mobile applications, it allows your employees to access their files in real-time, irrespective of their location. That way, you will make your organization more mobile and friendly to freelancers and remote team members.

Hybrid Servers

If you are still not sure which option is appropriate for your organization, perhaps a middle-of-the-road technology option may work for you the best. Sure, we are talking about the hybrid server. You can store some of your servers onsite, while most of them would be in the cloud. 

The hybrid cloud combines the flexibility of the public cloud infrastructure and the security of an on-premise server. Its biggest advantage lies in the fact that it adapts to your business’ specific needs. For example, you could store your sensitive data in the private cloud, while the rest would be kept in the public cloud. Data can be easily shared from the public cloud to the private one. However, you need to invest in the right tools to enable the two clouds to interact and keep your data protected.

Weigh your Options

If you are still asking yourself which cloud option is the right for you, remember that there is no straightforward answer to this question. It depends on a wide range of factors, such as the size of your organization, the sensitivity of your data, the size of your budget, employee expectations, etc. 

For example, if you are a remote team, investing in a hosted cloud server makes sense. On the other hand, if you want greater autonomy, then building on-prem servers is your best bet. If neither of these deployment methods works for you, then it is time to consider investing in hybrid cloud solutions.