With 90% of companies on the cloud, the services are only expanding. And although there are several methods of cloud computing, not everybody is familiar with all the solutions available. So what are they? 

 

 

Public Cloud

Public Cloud is probably the most recognised form of a cloud. When we think of ‘the cloud’, we tend to think of the leading providers; Azure, Amazon Web Service, Google Cloud and often 'the internet' - which is, essentially, what the public cloud is.  

Public cloud services are the most common form of cloud, provided by a large vendor and delivered over the internet. With the public cloud, all infrastructure; maintenance, servers, hardware etc, is owned and monitored by the vendor. Users of the public cloud typically pay on a monthly subscription basis – as the public cloud offers the flexibility to opt out and scale around your needs, payment is made to be as accessible as possible. You can check Microsoft Azure pricing here.  

Advantages of Public Cloud: 

• No extra cost - As the public cloud runs through a third-party vendor, the extra cost organisations use for infrastructure, maintenance and servers is no longer needed as all this is handled by the third party.  
• Flexible scalability - Businesses have the option to scale up or down with the public cloud – with everything managed by the vendor, it provides your business with the flexibility to decide how much space is necessary for your business solutions. 
• Highly reliable – With servers and maintenance constantly being managed in data centres, the public cloud proves reliable against failure. 

 

Private Cloud

A private cloud is exactly what it sounds like – a private cloud service for your organisation only. This can be done through on-premise solutions, where an organisation provides their own servers and infrastructure for their use only. Alternatively, a private cloud can also be hosted by a third-party vendor with private access for one organisation to utilise.  

With data centre resources located on-premise, businesses are able to customise and manage their cloud services personally - dependent upon their business needs. The option to manage their IT workload and data security are also a leading reason organisations choose to host the cloud privately.  

Advantages of Private Cloud: 

• Secure environment – As resources are dedicated to your business only, security and control becomes more organised and catered towards your organisation.  

• Customisable – A major benefit of private cloud is the ability to manage and customise your cloud solutions to specifically meet your business needs. 

 

Hybrid Cloud

Hybrid cloud provides solutions with a mix of both public and private cloud solutions. Organisations can run on-premise, with their own infrastructure and data centres, while also having the ability to use public cloud solutions for overflow and extra usage. The flexibility to utilise both on-premise services and the public cloud allows businesses to personalise their cloud solutions to successfully meet their needs. 

Advantages of Hybrid Cloud: 

• Flexibility – Hybrid cloud provides the best of both worlds; businesses can take advantage of their on-premise infrastructure while also utilising some form of the public cloud as and when needed – providing the flexibility to utilise both solutions when necessary.  
• Cost-effective – Although on-premise can be a pricey solution for some businesses, the option to migrate to the public cloud when needed proves effective for many.  

 

 

Here at Blacklight Software, we specialise in Microsoft solutions and bespoke software development to enhance your organisation. If you are interested in our services and how we can benefit your business – feel free to call us on  01924 640350 or email our team at sales@blacklightsoftware.com.