The Great Debate: Public or Private Cloud Hosting?

It’s a new era. A new generation of economics is here. The market demands a higher standard of data management – and this is accomplished through cloud computing. Chances are that you’ve already sensed that there’s an internet debate in full swing. Which option is better: Private cloud hosting or public hosting? Too bad it’s not so clear cut. Let’s analyze the different facets of the discussion.

cloud-hosting

Working with the Experts

A public cloud (think Dropbox or Google Drive; compare them here) hosts your data on an exterior network and makes it available to you wherever you are.  If you choose to rely on a public cloud host, your data will be hosted in the provider’s data center. They’ll be responsible for the maintenance and management of the cloud. Additionally, you’ll never be responsible to update the hardware that supports the cloud. Investing in this kind of convenience can save you from paying the salary of an on-site coordinator because when purchasing from a public cloud, they’ll take care of the logistics. Solutions like Google Drive can also be very effective when working on SEO projects with freelancers that already use Gmail.

Private Means Personal

When your organization chooses a private cloud – sometimes referred to as an internal or enterprise cloud – what you invest in on-site management you make back in the form of personalized solutions. This can take the form of memory space and other conveniences.

A private cloud also means that your data is located on your own servers behind the protection of a firewall. Only the hands of your own employees and consultants have access to the info. All of the drawbacks of public clouds disappear in the private sphere. What you’ll invest in your own management will return in the form on demand support, personalized solutions and nearly guaranteed security. Check out lists and reviews of potential private solutions to discover which private cloud solution will suit you and your organization best.

Consider your Savings

You’ll find that public cloud servers often offer limited free services. This will change when you hit the max storage capacity.

A public cloud provider also saves the time it takes to determine which solutions work best for your organization by bypassing the trial-and-error process.  All you need to do is agree, and the rest of the process is off of your head… and you’re back to business.

This approach has a drawback. Large-scale providers are availing their services to countless consumers and thus they need to make generic solutions to satisfy the most customers. This may require you to settle on some particular requirement that your organization’s niche requires.

When managing your data with an exterior data hosting service you’re probably going to be saving money. When large-scale, multi-consumer soft and hardware is being implemented you are essentially buying a generic service. Obviously this means that prices will go down, which is great.

Feel out the Market

Try checking out consumer reviews. Better yet, check out the reviews posted by your competitors. Oftentimes, choosing a particular cloud is a long-term investment. If a similar business is feeling trapped in the cloud hosting specifically for WordPress that they are utilizing, then capitalizing on their mistake will position you for a stronger network and thereby a more powerful control on your corner of the market.

Are You Safe?

The most discussed issue when it comes to a public cloud is security. When you ship your data out to a third party, how can you monitor any potential sinister activity that is taking place? Not only that, but your precious and sometimes sensitive data is snuggling up with the info being handled by a fourth, fifth and potentially endless series of additional parties. That’s a lot of hands near your stuff.

Time is of the Essence

You may also need to consider support flexibility. Some super-providers offer customer support around the clock. But this is not a universal service. Your cloud’s supporter may have traditional office hours, which may work for you if you’re in the same time zone. But if your business is operating in New York and the basis for the cloud is out in India, how will your offices coordinate? Imagine a system crash or a crisis in the middle of the work day, while you’re cloud’s manager is in the middle of dreaming in his bed in New Delhi. See the problem?

Judgment Time

So can you determine which kind of cloud is right for you? If you are looking for convenience and potentially free space then you may consider relying on a public cloud host. But you may miss out on the support, flexibility and safety of a private cloud solution.

Mars Cureg

Web designer by profession, photography hobbyist, T-shirt lover, design blog founder, gamer. Socially and physically awkward, lack of social skills, struggles to communicate with anyone who doesn't have a keyboard. Willing to walk to get to the promised land. Photo and video freelancer, SEO.