What Is All This Talk About the Cloud?

Cloud computing is one of the best ways that your business can compete with larger enterprises. Today, you can adopt the cloud and take advantage of countless services, but are you doing so yet? If not, we’ll help walk you through some of the best ways that your organization can leverage the cloud.

Of course, the type of cloud you will need depends on several factors, including data control, maintenance responsibility, and the complexity of your operations as a whole. You will generally be choosing from a public, private, and hybrid cloud for your business’ needs. With each of these comes new benefits and challenges to overcome, however, so you’ll want to consider all options before going all-in on a solution.

Public Cloud
If your business has a limited budget, the public cloud may be an ideal solution for you. The public cloud allows users to take advantage of the cloud without investing in on-site cloud infrastructure. You can use all of the great parts of the cloud, including storage, access to cloud-based applications or services, and communication solutions. The public cloud offers a great starting point for businesses that want to utilize the flexible cost the cloud offers, and don’t have the assets available to invest in anything more complicated. Some of the services provided through public cloud solutions include Google’s G Suite and Microsoft Office 365. Yet, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine for the public cloud, as the lack of customization and control may deter some organizations.

Private Cloud
Where the public cloud provides general catch-all solutions for businesses that don’t want to manage or maintain their own infrastructures, the private cloud offers hosted or on-site solutions that need to be maintained by an IT department of some kind. Basically, you need to have the infrastructure to manage a cloud system, as well as a team that can provide maintenance for it (unless you have arranged to outsource this--more on that later). Private clouds are in high demand because they allow businesses to easily customize their solutions to suit their needs--particularly in regard to network security and scope of services offered. Private clouds are best for businesses that want to maximize control over their data and know exactly what they want out of the cloud.

Hybrid Cloud
If neither the public nor private cloud are attractive to your organization, then perhaps a mixture of the two will provide the best results. A hybrid cloud takes all of the benefits of a private cloud and combines them with public cloud offerings thereby allowing for a customizable and flexible solution that is built specifically for your business’ needs.

The best part of this is that you can have an outsourced provider like Directive host your cloud infrastructure so that you don’t have to. It’s the best way to take advantage of the best of both worlds. To learn more, reach out to us at 607.433.2200.