The Cloud & The Data Center

A cloud storage service is a version of a data center that will not be located on your company’s physical premises. It enables access to your business data via the internet. The cloud provider is responsible for performing ongoing maintenance and updates, and often owns multiple data centers in several geographic locations to safeguard your data during outages and other failures.

A data center, on the other hand, is server hardware maintained on company premises where you can store and access data through your local network. An in-house IT department typically maintains an on-premises data center. With a data center, you have full control over your data as well as full responsibility for maintaining it.

Customisability vs. Scalability

A data center is ideal for companies that need a dedicated system to grant them total control over their data and hardware. Since it will be only the company using this hardware infrastructure, a data center is more suited for an organisation that runs many types of applications and complex workloads.

However, a data center has limited capacity. You’re responsible for purchasing and installing additional equipment and the latest technologies if your company needs to expand the data center’s storage and workload.

A?cloud-hosted data?system has potentially unlimited capacity, depending on your vendor’s offerings and service plans. Other benefits that are associated with?cloud-based data?are cost and scalability. Because you aren’t making any up-front payments to purchase hardware and infrastructure that will eventually be outdated, you see instant savings. Also, with cloud computing vendors, you only pay for what you need, so you don’t have servers sitting dormant and waiting to be put to use.

Security Concerns

With a cloud vendor, your company will entrust its data to a third party. It’s up to the cloud provider to ensure it has the most up-to-date security certifications. If your cloud resides on several data centers in different locations, each location will need the proper?cybersecurity?measures.

Anywhere access

Anyone with the proper credentials can access your cloud data from anywhere with an internet connection. Your authorised employees will be able to access business data from their mobile and other devices while on the go.

Cost

A cloud storage service is usually cost-effective, especially for small companies. A cloud vendor can scale your service up or down quickly as your business grows. Most cloud vendors offer a range of subscription plans to account for this.

Deciding between a cloud storage solution and an on-site data center comes down to choosing the option that best helps your business succeed with your available resources.

This is where a trusted managed services provider like Rackspace Technology can help. You can count on their deep bench of well-trained, experienced professionals to help you decide which solution is best for your organisation and then help plan, implement, train, manage, and support your project.