As many businesses shift their infrastructure to the cloud, how are you keeping up? Flexibility and cost savings are tangible ways businesses can benefit from moving their traditional in-person infrastructure to the cloud, but deciding which cloud computing solution is best can be challenging.
The same inflation and supply chain issues that impact many US industries also impact cloud services. Google recently announced a 25-50% increase in cloud storage costs on its public cloud platform. Similarly, the largest cloud services supplier Amazon (AWS) has also increased prices since the beginning of 2022.
With 61% of cloud infrastructure coming from AWS, Microsoft, or Google, it may be easy to choose one of these more established public cloud-based solutions. But is that necessarily the best option for your business?
Continue reading to learn more about cloud infrastructure as a service, as well as the best ways to ensure your cloud set-up is secure, stable, and, above all, supportive of your business goals.
In order for your business to use these services, you have to choose from the public cloud, the private cloud, or a blend of both (hybrid cloud).
The public cloud involves partnering with businesses like Microsoft, Amazon, or Google. In this scenario, these companies own and manage the cloud infrastructure, while your business manages your own account, data, and applications. With this type of service, your business will only pay for what you need and use.
On the other hand, a private cloud service is typically offered through a Managed IT Service Provider or another technology-based organization. Unlike the public cloud, a private cloud is located and managed on-site or in a remote data center that the company controls via a private network.
Lastly, a hybrid cloud combines a private cloud’s infrastructure with a public cloud, allowing your team to move seamlessly between the two environments. Your employees can collaborate and access data via public cloud tools, while you have full control over the network via a private infrastructure.
Each cloud environment — whether public, private, or hybrid — brings its own set of benefits and challenges. Determining what’s the best option for your business is key. The industry is certainly continuing to grow and benefit a range of businesses. PR Newswire writes: “This is partly due to cloud technology’s proven effectiveness in powering digital transformation initiatives for enterprises of all sizes around the world.”
However, cloud prices are becoming a concern. Cloud prices have increased among the private and hybrid sector due to chip shortages, rising cost of goods, supply chain issues, and more. One 2021 study by Andreessen Horowitz found enterprises spend 20% more on public cloud services than originally anticipated with their “pay-as-you-go” pricing model.
With the cloud price increases in mind, here are a few points to consider whether you’re re-evaluating your current cloud provider or considering a new option:
Store and access your data and programs on a secure, private internet connection for a low monthly rate
Because Outages Don't Wait for Your Organization's Backups to Complete