Working on the Cloud can do wonders for your enterprise. For one, it helps reduce the infrastructure requirement thereby drastically reducing expenditure on hardware and software. It also helps increase output of your employees, increases accessibility of data, reduces human resource requirement and so much more. But like everything else, it would be extremely foolish to get into cloud computing without understanding it fully. Here is everything you need to know before you get into cloud computing.
There are three forms of cloud computing: public, private and hybrid.
Public cloud is a computing model where services like applications and storage are provided over the internet. The most common Public cloud services are Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Desktop as a Service(DaaS). The biggest advantage of getting on the Public cloud is the high efficiency and low cost. You will no longer be burdened with the cost of infrastructure and software, as it will be taken care of by your service provider. You will only have to pay for the services you avail as per your usage. It is suitable for testing and developing code, for increasing storage and computer capacity during peak times, for collaborative projects and so on. However public clouds are vulnerable and limit configuration. It is unwise to use them with sensitive data.
Private clouds are where services, infrastructure and data are kept on a private network. This is different from the public clouds as you still get to maintain your own data center. This gives you complete control and flexibility over data and also ensures an increased security. However you will have to pay for infrastructure and software. This would be the ideal choice if data security is your priority.
Hybrid clouds have both private and public cloud services. It primarily refers to applications run on the private cloud, which make use of the public cloud at times to create the most efficient model. For instance during peak times, services can be migrated from a private cloud to a public cloud. However the management of such a system can become quite complicated and you will have to keep track of many security platforms to ensure all aspects of your business can communicate with each other.
Today, these forms are evolving and the lines between them are blurring. Most Public cloud providers have started offering private cloud solutions as well. Depending on how you want to use cloud services in your enterprise, make an informed decision.
