
Most companies have a range of subscription plans to account for this. As your company’s data needs change over time, the cloud vendor should be able to scale your service up or down. The cloud service is available for use almost immediately upon registration. It does not require nearly as much time or money to set up and run. Operating a large data center can cost a company $10 million to $25 million per year.Ī cloud service is more cost-effective, especially for small companies. If your company builds a data center from the ground up, that will take a lot of time, and your company will be responsible for the system’s maintenance and administration. You are responsible for your own security, however. This makes it easier to ensure that only people with company-approved credentials and devices can access stored apps and information. This is convenient, but it also opens a wide array of access points, all of which must be protected to ensure that data transmitted through them is secure.Ī data center is physically connected to your company’s local network. If your cloud resides on several data centers in different locations, each location will need the proper cybersecurity measures.Īnyone with the proper credentials can access your cloud data from anywhere with an internet connection. It’s up to the cloud provider to ensure it has the most up-to-date security certifications. With a cloud vendor, your company will entrust its data to a third party. The disadvantage is that you have less control over the remotely located hardware, since the cloud vendor owns and manages the data center system.įurthermore, unless you pay to have a private cloud within the vendor’s network, your company will share hardware resources with other cloud users.

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.Ī cloud-hosted data system has potentially unlimited capacity, depending on your vendor’s offerings and service plans. However, a data center has limited capacity. Because only the company uses this hardware infrastructure, a data center is more suited for an organization that runs many types of applications and complex workloads. scalability.Ī data center is ideal for companies that need a dedicated system to grant them total control over their data and hardware. If you’re deciding between using a cloud computing service and building your own data center, here are three factors to consider, along with the pros and cons of each storage solution.
Local cloud vs remote cloud how to#
How to choose a cloud storage service vs. An in-house IT department typically maintains an on-premises data center. What is a data center?Ī data center is server hardware maintained on company premises where you can store and access data through your local network. The cloud provider performs ongoing maintenance and updates, and often owns multiple data centers in several geographic locations to safeguard your data during outages and other failures. It enables access to your business data via the internet. What is a cloud storage service?Ī cloud storage service is a version of a data center that is not located on your company’s physical premises. When storing and accessing massive amounts of your organization’s data, cloud data services are a cost-effective alternative to setting up and running a data center.

This article is for small business owners and information technology (IT) managers considering the benefits and drawbacks of different data storage options.

Some businesses may be restricted from using cloud storage, based on their industries and government policies and regulations.A data center is a fully customizable storage solution over which you have complete control, but it costs more, takes up space, and can only be accessed through an onsite corporate network.Cloud storage is a scalable solution with redundancy and anywhere access, but it relies on an internet connection, which makes it vulnerable to cyberthreats.
