For some time now, we have only been talking about the cloud! More and more used in business, this form of storage is now available in a multitude of offers among which it is not always easy to navigate.
Here are our tips for choosing a business cloud that's right for you.
The cloud, online storage of the XXIe century
No more local storage, the cloud allows companies to back up their data remotely and access it via an internet connection.
The data is saved on a remote server rented on demand by users.
These are centralized and accessible from different devices (computer, tablet or even smartphone), which gives companies more flexible, secure and efficient management of their information shared internally.
The services offered in cloud computing include PaaS (Platform as a Service), such as web hosting (OVH, etc.), SaaS (Software as a Service), such as Gmail, or even STaaS (Storage as as service), offered by providers such as Dropbox or Google Drive.
Cloud computing allows you to centralize your business data and access it through any device connected to the internet.
To store your data, you have the choice between two types of storage:
- the private cloud, which allows you to store your information on a company-specific server;
- the public cloud, and by an external service provider, which makes its storage infrastructure available to you via a subscription.
Private cloud vs public cloud
Here are the main criteria to consider when choosing a cloud:
Budget and company profile
Depending on the size of your business, you won't have the same budget to allocate to storing your data.
The private cloud is the most expensive and the most tedious to set up since you will have to invest in your own infrastructure (servers, data centers, etc.).
If you already have the right infrastructure, this option is more feasible. In addition, the private cloud allows you to keep control over the entire network and the costs incurred.
For very small businesses, setting up a public cloud will be less expensive and tedious than a clean infrastructure.
Small businesses will be able to rent storage space in a public cloud for a budget suited to their consumption without, however, controlling price changes.
Data security and backup
Data security requires special attention when choosing your storage system.
If the public cloud seems to have more weaknesses on security issues, providers of infrastructure as a service make it one of their major concerns.
Before choosing a public cloud, consider your vendor's certifications and security standards.
If you share sensitive information, your choice will more naturally fall on a private cloud, to avoid sharing information with other organizations and to keep control of the data internally.
On the backup side, the public cloud will generally offer you efficient double backup systems.
Additional investments will be required to optimize the availability of private cloud infrastructure.
Note: for enhanced security, you can opt for the virtual private cloud, whose security will be enhanced.
Flexibility vs customization
As the public cloud infrastructure is managed externally, it will offer greater flexibility by offering you a wide margin of maneuver to adapt your storage to your evolving needs.
Although less flexible, the private cloud will be more customizable and adaptable because it is specific to the company.
You will be able to manage data, equipment and network according to your own criteria and control the entire infrastructure.
To take advantage of all storage solutions, opt for the hybrid cloud! This integrated cloud model allows you to manage your sensitive data in a private cloud and combine it with a public cloud for the management of non-sensitive information.
