Which Cloud is Right for You?
The concept behind cloud computing seems simple enough. In the most basic sense, computing workloads are moved off premise and then delivered as an “anytime, anywhere” service to be more cost effective and efficient than traditional IT. Things begin to get a little more complicated when differentiating between cloud solutions. Depending on your exact needs, the solution you need can fall under one of three umbrellas:
- Public Cloud: Because you are sharing computing resources among a network of users, the public cloud offers greater flexibility and cost savings.
- Private Cloud: Offering scalability and flexibility similar to a public cloud, but with critical information being stored within a pool of private and dedicated resources, many consider this to be a more secure option.
- Hybrid Cloud: If some systems are not ready to virtualized, the hybrid cloud offers the ability to integrate some cloud offerings with your current private environment
Differentiating between Clouds
While each solution does offer its own set of unique benefits, it’s important to note that not all clouds are created equal. At Expedient, we have developed a quick checklist to help you differentiate between solutions and decide which is right for your needs:
The public cloud may be right for you if:
- Business growth is dynamic, tied to seasonality and promotional offerings
- Capital dollars for hardware purchases are limited
- Your demand for computing resources fluctuates
The private cloud may be right for you if:
- Stringent security and regulatory requirements limit your ability to use shared resources
- As an enterprise-sized company, your computing budget is not limited
- Business and networking demands are predictable
The hybrid cloud may be right for you if:
- You have some applications or hardware that are not ready for the cloud
- You need to leverage some of your systems in a secure environment
- Plans are to migrate to a complete cloud solution as existing hardware expires
The cloud computing experts at Expedient have outlined the answers for you. Visit our “Ask the Cloud Experts” video gallery for detailed insights on cloud computing.
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