Cloud Computing vs. Onsite Computing

Cloud computing has been a hot topic in IT circles for years; first because of the skepticism that many IT professionals had for the practice, and now that it is a mainstream business technology, ways to enhance security to protect the organization who has embraced this computing strategy. While cloud computing is convenient, flexible, and seemingly affordable, there are instances where having physical machines makes more sense for a business. 

Why the Cloud is So Valuable

If your organization is like many others, you have probably made the jump to cloud-based resources for some of your organization's computing needs. You’ve probably done so because the massive costs of renewing your on-premise infrastructure doesn’t make a whole lot of sense since there are options that remove them from the equation altogether. Computing in the cloud is valuable because all of the costs associated with running enterprise-level applications are effectively whittled down into a per-month or per-GB offering. The value in streamlining your business’ computing is palpable. 

If you consider that today you can get about any type of computing resource in the cloud, it makes it pretty easy to set your business up any way you want. This means that you can embrace strategies to reduce cost, while still having the computing resources your business needs to thrive. Furthermore, cloud-based tools give an organization the flexibility that other platforms simply don’t. We covered the cost, but it’s easier to scale solutions to your business’ demands, and since you only need a working Internet connection to access these tools, people can work from anywhere at any time with little or no problems. 

However, there are some drawbacks to cloud computing.

When It Makes Sense to Stay In-House

Onsite computing is the traditional way businesses have been doing it for decades. Basically you get servers where you host your applications and data and they function as a central hub to your business’ operational ability. For businesses that have been around a while, having onsite computing isn’t so rare. This isn’t just because of the opportunity, it is because most businesses have systems they need uninterrupted access to, and even though cloud computing resources feature more uptime than ever before, any downtime for these systems can be problematic. 

Additionally, security is a consideration. With onsite computing, your business can control access, network traffic, and more, much more completely than if you utilize public cloud platforms. It stands to reason that systems that need to be maintained for compliance reasons or simply to protect your organization’s most delicate information should be hosted onsite. That’s not to say that you can’t get secure computing platforms in the cloud, it’s just that you don’t have assurance that you control the strategies and tools used to maintain data security. 

Regardless of what type of computing infrastructure you choose to use, the IT professionals at Macro Systems can set your business up with the tools and support you need to keep your operations running efficiently and effectively. Give us a call today at 703-359-9211 to learn more.