Choosing a right cloud solution for your business can be tough, and primarily due to two factors.
Firstly, there is no common framework that can assess CSP (Cloud Service Provider). And second, none of the CSPs are known to be the same.
Before we discuss how to choose the right cloud solution for your business, let’s take a look into 3 types of common cloud solutions available in the market.
3 Main Types of Cloud Solutions
Public Clouds
Public clouds are currently the most common solution to cloud computing.
It is suitable to store data with less sensitivity because it uses a shared infrastructure that caters to the demands of a wide range of users, typically hosted and operated by a third-party cloud service provider.
It is usually available in two modes – both free and pay-per-use. However, cyber attacks on public clouds could be normal.
Examples of public clouds are: Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), IBM’s Blue Cloud, Google Cloud and Windows Azure.
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Private Clouds
The private cloud refers to computing resources hosted on an infrastructure that is used solely by a particular entity. It is suitable for the preservation of private and confidential data.
The infrastructure is either physically located at the company’s on-site or off-side data centre, or also provided by a third-party.
Critically, the services and facilities are often managed on a private network for the exclusive use of a single individual or organization.
Government departments, financial institutions and businesses with critical operations commonly typically use private clouds.
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Hybrid Clouds
Hybrid clouds can also be considered as the combination of the best features from both private cloud and public cloud , as they integrate private cloud technology with public cloud infrastructure to maximize each other’s advantages.
Hybrid cloud deployments are most directly related to the corporate cloud or business cloud and they are widely used by major corporations and enterprises.
Hybrid clouds are also seen as a very versatile choice. Enable companies to use the public cloud to outsource less security-intensive activities to a virtual environment while maintaining sensitive data on a private on-site secure network.
Cloud bursting is a common aspect of the hybrid cloud, helping companies to adapt quickly to a large rise in demand, such as during peak hours, then scale back to down save on costs.
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Criteria On Choosing The Right Cloud Solution For Your Business
You can make your decision when choosing the ideal cloud solution by evaluating criteria and factors below.
1. Security
Your data can be confidential. While some clouds are vulnerable to cyber threats, some may guarantee additional protection.
You must consider the sensitivity of your data in order to select the provider that will fulfill your purpose appropriately.
Protection controls and mechanisms range from one provider to another, and you must pay particular attention to what they provide you.
2. Compliance
All organizations have certain policies to conform with the respective organisation and sector.
HIPAA, SOC 2, GDPR and PCI DSS are some of the standard implementations and you need to consider the data security criteria while they are in the public cloud infrastructure.
3. Architecture
Based of your choice, the cloud provider architecture can be integrated into your company workflow.
The design is different for all providers and you need to understand the nature of your company in order to make an optimal decision.
It can also affect the preservation of your files, as archival storage also differs between choices.
4. Manageability
Managing certain clouds requires minimal work, allowing you to focus on your objectives and plans to a greater degree, while other solutions can enable you to set up a separate team.
It depends entirely on the requirements of your company, and choosing the wrong one will cause you vulnerable to a lot of risks.
5. Service levels
Some organizations are seeking shorter response time, availability, support and capability. Cloud Service Level Arrangements must be given careful consideration so that you can ideally pick the one that suits your expectations and specifications.
It also helps to create a consistent contract relationship, including the legal standards for data protection.
6. Support
Support is of primary significance, in particular to prevent or fix problems at a quicker pace.
Varied providers provide a range of support programs and the form of support can also vary.
Some may provide resources via chat, while others may prefer email or call support. The response time often varies and some questions must be clarified up front.
7. Costs
Budget is a necessary requirement for all purchases, and using a cloud service is no different. You must consider before you make the decision.
There are several payment models, including AWS, pay-per-use, reservation, bulk discounts and other alternatives.
Conclusion
You must weigh these considerations in order to analyze your requirements before finalizing your choice of cloud solution.
Apart from choosing the optimal service, you can also make a lot of savings and value for your money.
Get in touch with our cloud specialist for a free consultation and an online quote today.
