If you are thinking of moving your company to the Cloud, but don’t know which is the best option for your business.
Cloud computing has become very popular for businesses of all sizes, as it doesn’t have the hassle of IT hardware. There are three main types of Cloud: Public, Private and Hybrid. The Public Cloud holds your data on the supplier’s server, together with everyone else’s data. The Private Cloud is not shared, effectively providing your company with your own private cloud, while the Hybrid Cloud integrates both Private and Public Clouds.
With several Cloud options out there, it can be daunting trying to decide which is best for your business. There are many factors to consider when choosing a Cloud platform:
- How it will work within your business – choosing the Cloud platform that works best for your business is essential for you to benefit from moving to the Cloud.
- Security – how secure is your data on the cloud platform? Companies with significant confidential data will need to think about using the Private Cloud, or having an on-premises server for confidential data.
- What equipment do you already have – If you have a server that is still working well, you may want to migrate only part of your data to the Cloud for the time being and then complete the migration when your server’s life expectancy is near.
- Control – Control over your data is one of the main issues companies focus on; the type of data your company deals with and the control you need can have an impact on the best Cloud solution for you.
- Migration – Each Cloud platform will need you to migrate your data, which varies in time and cost for each platform, depending on the amount of data you are moving. It is important to find out about migration costs before you choose a Cloud provider.
- Costs – It can be hard to determine how much per month the Cloud platform will cost unless you know the amount of data that will be migrated to the Cloud. Find out how the Cloud platforms invoice costs. Microsoft Office 365 invoices per user, per month (or annually), whereas the Private Cloud platforms usually invoice on the amount used, per month.
- Support – Most Cloud providers will offer a Support Service, you will need to find out what the hours are and what they can help you with.
- Reliability– All the Cloud Solutions are very reliable with most of them offering a 99.9% Uptime guarantee. Ask the provider what sort of plan they have in case of a disaster situation.
Benefits of the Cloud
- No capital outlay for IT Hardware
- No storage and air conditioning costs
- Anytime, anywhere access
- 9% Up-time guarantee
- Software licencing can be paid monthly
- Only pay for the resources you need
Disadvantages of the Cloud
- High speed, reliable internet is absolutely essential
- May not run certain software that is customised to your business
- Response times may suffer
- Sharp increase in usage may be chargeable
To choose the right Cloud solution you need to weigh up the costs, scalability and control.
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