Cloud Computing vs On-Premise IT – Data Backup and Your Business
The world of work we live in is a particularly uncertain one. The future was already difficult to read, and that was before the pandemic struck and thrust our world into pandemonium. Luckily, business owners love solving problems, and many very quickly found alternative ways of working – in doing so they gave their organisations the best chances of not only surviving but perhaps even excelling and thriving throughout the worst of the pandemic.
The most popular method of survival was with the Cloud, which allowed teams to continue working with little to no change to their workflow, all from a remote setting with an internet connection. The Cloud is based offsite and is used on a subscription basis – you pay for it as a service as opposed to the infrastructure behind it, meaning that you don’t have to manage it and can just reap the benefits.
Across the globe business owners are choosing the Cloud. Business owners have realised that traditional on-premise IT doesn’t have the features that a Cloud IT environment does.
This doesn’t mean that the Cloud is for everyone, because some need to continue using their on-premise IT infrastructure, and some may even enjoy a hybrid of both. Every business is different – some rely on a stable internet connection 100% of the time (in the Cloud there is no way of guaranteeing this).
It is essential that your business works, and your data is backed-up, in a way that is relevant for you and how you work. As we said, no two companies are the same and nor are the methods by which they work or protect their data.
It can be a very tedious task deciding which option is best for you, your team, and the continued growth of your thriving business. We will now highlight the positives and negatives of the Cloud. Then, in the article that follows, we will look at the pros and cons of on-premise IT. We hope that once familiar with both you will be able to make a revised decision that is best for you.
The Cloud – The positives
•Backup
Traditional on-premise IT can be impacted by threats or failure – the Cloud ensures your data is safe. Nonetheless, it is still recommended that you also have copies of your data hosted elsewhere in order to further protect your data and lower the risk of loss, deletion, or theft.
•Collaboration
The Cloud gives you the ability to communicate and share from anywhere with an internet connection, allowing for levels of collaboration that simply cannot be achieved by any other means. The Cloud can revolutionise your workplace and allow your team to work on the same document from anywhere – one team member could be on the beach in Australia, and the other in their house in London, and they can both work on the same document simultaneously.
•Scalability
The Cloud offers instant flexibility. You can scale at will, allowing you to feel comfortable that no matter what the demands are on your organisation you can still meet them – if demand massively increased your system can handle the influx and vice versa. You can quite literally evolve and scale overnight, whilst keeping things affordable. With the Cloud you can also be sure that the tools you and your team are using are not only cost effective but also as efficient as possible.
•Business continuity
The Cloud makes it possible for you to access your data again quickly in the rare event of a crisis. When the dust settles you will need to access it to conduct business as usual and minimise the loss of productivity and any downtime it may have caused.
•The reduced cost
The Cloud removes the often-ridiculous cost of managing and maintaining your own IT systems. Cloud providers usually include system upgrades, new hardware, and software in your pre agreed monthly payments – it is nice having the peace of mind that there will be no surprises. With traditional IT you have to pay for all of this yourself at additional cost – not only do you have to cover this extra expenditure on top of your original expenses but you also have to be aware of when upgrades are needed. For those that aren’t familiar with IT or know what good practice is in regard to computing, this can be a near impossible task. The Cloud can also save you money on wages, because, as harsh as it sounds, there will no longer be a need for your IT team that were previously tasked with managing your on-premise IT, as your Cloud provider will do that as part of the service.
The Cloud is great – it can save you time and money whilst boosting productivity and output, but it isn’t perfect. Let’s take a look at some of the downsides to it.
The Cloud – The downsides
•Internet connection dependency
The Cloud is entirely dependent on a constant – good quality – internet connection. With little to no data stored locally, your entire organisation is entirely reliant on a stable, reliable, internet connection to allow you to access your data and the services that are hosted there. Most businesses would cease to exist after the potentially huge downtime experienced from a loss of internet connection.
•The loss of control
Business owners don’t like giving up their control. You will be placing your data – and, in essence, the lifeblood of your organisation – into the hands of a third party. You will have to trust them completely to handle that data correctly according to the law, and securely. Your regulatory obligations may demand that you complete due diligence on the comprehensiveness of your infrastructure provider – it is also highly recommended that you know exactly where their data centres are, if they are secure both physically and online, and seek reviews from existing customers of the provider – who better to get feedback from than the ones that are already paying for the service?
If there is an issue you can do nothing about it, you will be entirely reliant on the abilities and (hopefully) haste of your provider’s technical support team. But, some providers don’t offer a 24/7 service – if this applies to your business be sure to check this before signing on.
We have explored the positives and negatives of the Cloud. In the following article we will look at traditional on-premise IT, the positives and negatives, and whether it is the right option for your organisation.
Armco IT: IT Support and Managed Services for Businesses Across York, North and East Yorkshire
There’s nothing we love more than seeing Yorkshire businesses flourish by harnessing the power of IT. Our team of dedicated engineers stands ready to help you overcome any technical challenge and deliver tailored solutions that help your business meet its goals and growth ambitions. From our base in Malton, we deliver proactive IT support and services across York, North and East Yorkshire. We have a strong track record in delivering impactful IT to clients across a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing, design and insurance, among many others. We focus on maintaining, optimising and securing your digital estate, so you can focus on the growth and success of your business. Contact our team and let us start our journey together today.