When talking about cloud migration, there are a number of options to consider when looking to implement the best solution for you. Not only are you choosing service providers but you will also be considering whether to choose between, public, private or hybrid options.  Not sure what those are?  Here we explain the difference to help make your decision a little bit easier on which is right for you. 

Public Cloud

This is a common way of migrating to a cloud solution and highly cost effective. The infrastructure of servers and storage facilities are all owned and operated by the cloud service provider, such as AWS or Microsoft Azure. Typical examples are services for web based email, online business applications and storage.  All of the hardware, storage and network devices are owned and managed by the provider and shared among all organisations subscribed to their service and they access their information via a web browser.

Some of the advantages of this option are among the main reasons for migrating the cloud:

• Low cost – you don’t own any hardware or infrastructure and only pay for the service used
• Zero maintenance – again, with no ownership of the infrastructure, all maintenance is the responsibility of the service provider
• Scaleable – scale up and down depending on your business needs
• Reliable – a massive network of servers ensures virtually zero chance of failure

Private Cloud

In a private cloud, you still avoid all the issues related to on-premise solutions, but the hardware and software involved are used exclusively by one organisation. A private cloud would typically be used by large organisations such as financial institutions or Government departments.

Advantages of a private cloud include:

• Flexible – the cloud environment is designed to meet specific business needs and not off the shelf
• Secure – with no shared resources, higher levels of security can be implemented and guaranteed
• Scaleable – the scalability benefits from a public cloud environment can still be met in a private option

Hybrid Cloud

Often described as the best of both worlds, a hybrid option utilises the best features of both public and private cloud environments. In this option, things like email or low security business applications would be operated in the public cloud and business critical applications requiring higher levels of control or security would be maintained in a private cloud.

The advantages to gained from a hybrid option include:

• Greater control – you have the benefits of the cloud but maintain some level of control over more business-critical applications or data
• Flexible – can still utilise the scaleability of the public cloud when demand requires it
• Timing – cloud migration can be phased in over time rather than moving the entire business operations in one move

There is no simple answer as to which of the three solutions is the best. In reality, it depends on individual business situation, requirements and what you are trying to achieve. In numerous blogs, I’ve said that technology is the facilitator to achieve a specific business outcome and this is a prime example of that. The starting point is what is the business-critical decision driving the need for cloud migration?  Only when that is established can you then move onto which solution best meets that requirement.

No matter where you are in your cloud journey, speak to us and we can help you on the right path.