Hey You, Get Off the Public Cloud
The Rolling Stones sang, “Hey you, get off my cloud,” yet businesses might want to think instead about leaving the public cloud. Weigh these possible public cloud conce
s against the advantages of alte
ate cloud solutions.
When most people think of the cloud, they are thinking of the public cloud. Apple users are on its iCloud. Others may be storing files on Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Cloud, or other services. These all typically have a free level of service. You can pay a monthly fee to upgrade based on the resources you use.
Cloud data is easy to store and access. This can enhance business productivity and efficiency. Added advantages of hosted cloud services – public or private – include the following:
• Speed. Hosted cloud services come on demand or self-service. It’s possible to have cloud resources up and running in a matter of minutes.
• Performance. Cloud providers focus on running secure data centers with the latest infrastructure. It's their job to worry about hardware setup, software patching, and network reliability.
• Scalability. Add cloud capacity without buying equipment or software, or training employees.
• Mobility. Employees can access the cloud from anywhere, on any device.
• Disaster recovery. Providers build in redundancies to ensure uninterrupted service.
• Responsibility. You don't need to invest in on-site equipment, maintenance, and management.
Yet there are some drawbacks to the public cloud. The public cloud is affordable because businesses share resources. The cloud service provider relies on economies of scale. They bring many businesses together for the same services, and it all adds up. But if you’re in an industry with high compliance requirements, the public cloud is a risk.