Companies often choose to utilize private or hybrid cloud environments rather than public because of the numerous benefits they have to offer. Private and hybrid clouds share many advantages, though they have somewhat different infrastructures. Fully private clouds, also referred to as corporate or internal clouds are contained solely within the organization. They are highly customizable, and you can configure them in ways that most effectively meet your business’s needs. Hybrid clouds offer private cloud environments and on-premise systems as well, but they also utilize public cloud sources. A hybrid cloud enables organizations to combine the advantages of both public and private cloud technologies while avoiding the disadvantages. Both hybrid and private clouds offer numerous benefits, so for simplicity, we will use the two terms interchangeably throughout this article.
Public cloud environments do not work well for many organizations. Companies that deal with sensitive data may have difficulties meeting security regulations and protecting private information, as public clouds do not offer the high levels of security that private clouds can. Spikes in Internet usage may affect application performance, and public clouds tend to be one-size-fits-all solutions that cannot be easily customized to meet specific business needs.
Healthcare, government, engineering, finance, education, and telecommunications organizations frequently utilize private clouds because they offer better security and data protection, making it easier to adhere to compliance standards, and they are easily scaled to adapt to changing workloads.
Data Protection
With a private cloud, companies have full control over their physical and network security. When you utilize a public cloud service, all of your business’s sensitive data is backed up to shared storage space and accessed through shared servers. Not so with a secure private cloud, where your servers and storage are dedicated solely to your organization and can only be accessed by the appropriate personnel. All of your cloud infrastructure is located either on-site or at your provider’s secure data center, and with appropriate building security, firewalls, and antivirus software in place, you can maintain complete control over your company’s data.
Private cloud environments offer a high level of security that appeals to organizations dealing with sensitive data. Financial, government, and medical entities need the security of private clouds to ensure that they meet all regulatory requirements and protect their clients’ personal information. Data breaches have become all too common, and a private cloud minimizes the risk of unauthorized access to your business’s private information. When your customers share their personal data with your company, they expect you to keep it safe and secure. A private cloud will help ensure that their information, and in turn, your organization’s reputation, are both protected.
Greater Control
Centralized, private cloud infrastructures also allow for immediate changes and intervention. With a private cloud, your IT department can access and control every part of your cloud infrastructure. They can even use advanced analytics and application monitoring to predict spikes in usage and prevent bottlenecks, increasing efficiency, and reducing costly downtime. Companies often opt for a private cloud environment when they frequently use heavy data analysis applications, or when their workloads are critical or contain sensitive information.
Flexibility
Every business is different. They differ in size and industry. Business objectives and technical requirements are different too. With a private cloud, you can customize your infrastructure to precisely fit your company’s needs. This will ensure that your cloud system offers adequate storage and the networking capabilities you need to keep your business running smoothly and at maximum efficiency.
You also have the ability to choose the locations of your servers. Private cloud servers can be on-site and completely contained within your company, or you can utilize the secure servers at your cloud provider’s data center. Off-site servers are accessible only to your organization through secure, private networks and still provide high levels of security, but they are maintained and managed by your cloud provider rather than your in-house IT staff.
Compliance
Since private clouds offer greater security and customization, they make it easier for businesses to remain compliant and adhere to all national, internal, and industry security standards. You can create your cloud environment with your company and industry policies and data protection needs in mind. A private cloud can give you complete control over your infrastructure and your customers’ private data, and in the unlikely event of a data breach, you can easily access all of your security logs to quickly determine the cause, minimize damage, and prevent recurrences.
Save Money
Private cloud services are a cost-effective way for small and mid-sized companies to access resources previously only available to large corporations. Although private cloud computing requires an upfront investment, it offers a significant return on investment through automation and standardization. Automated applications can drastically cut down on the time it takes to complete intensive tasks such as massive data analyses.
When you invest in private cloud infrastructure, you can configure it to meet your exact needs. So you are only paying for the functions and metrics that you will actually use instead of a general service that does not take into account your company’s unique requirements. A quality private cloud provider will also offer better support and service, and they often provide additional benefits such as disaster recovery services.
Private cloud environments offer access to the same technological innovations as public clouds, but they also provide a level of security, flexibility, and control that public cloud services cannot beat. With a private cloud, you can customize your infrastructure to perfectly fulfill your business needs while retaining complete control over your customers’ private information and better ensuring that your company meets data safety and security regulations. If you are concerned about usage spikes while running intensive workloads, a hybrid cloud may be a good option for your business. Hybrid clouds offer all of the previously discussed benefits with the additional ability to access public cloud services to compensate for periods of high usage.
With a private cloud system, you can optimize your company’s efficiency, ensure the safety of your customers’ data, and access enterprise-level tools at a price point that works for your small or mid-sized company.
