Which Cloud Computing Model is Right for Your Business?

Most companies are moving to the cloud in hopes of revolutionizing the way they maintain their mission-critical data and applications. Despite this fact, there are some businesses that don’t know the first thing about cloud computing, or even the different kinds of cloud offerings that can be chosen from.

As industry experts, Macro Systems feels it is our responsibility to inform business owners of what the different cloud solutions are, and how they can benefit (or limit) their business. We can help you make the best decision for your cloud-computing need.

According to Steven Vaughaun-Nichols of CSC, cloud computing is far more than “a bunch of servers.” Too many business owners don’t understand in full capacity what a cloud solution is, and this prevents them from making an informed decision concerning their data storage needs. Rather than being virtual servers, a cloud takes the form of data stored on a virtual machine in a secure data center. Vaughaun-Nichols emphasizes that clouds deliver a “user-controlled utility,” not unlike other services that are treated like utilities. Appcore defines cloud orchestration as “the combination of tools, processes, and architecture that enable virtualized resources to be delivered as a service.”

Just like real clouds, cloud computing can take on many different shapes and forms. Here are three of the more widely-used types of cloud solutions available on the market.

Public Clouds: Businesses that take advantage of a public cloud are using services that can be accessed from any publicly-accessible network. These services are often offered by a third-party vendor. Smaller businesses and startups tend to flock toward the affordability and accessibility that the public cloud has to offer. Businesses that use the public cloud for their computing needs don’t have to take responsibility for the security of their data, but this also means that public cloud solutions might not be as effective as private or hybrid clouds in the security department.

Private Clouds: Private clouds function differently from the public cloud because they are privately hosted in-house. This gives the business control over their data security through security-enhancing devices and applications, which can mean all the difference when choosing a cloud model.

Hybrid Clouds: Hybrid clouds take the best features of both the private and public clouds, converging them into one that makes the platform exactly what you want it to be. One example of a hybrid cloud is one which hosts confidential information in-house, while hosting less important data in a public cloud.

Now that you are familiar with these different cloud solutions, you have a tough choice to make. What kind of cloud solution does your business need? Macro Systems can help your business make this decision. Give us a call at (703) 359-9211 to find out how.