Cloud computing is typically considered the future of computing. With better storage, accessibility, and security, it’s no wonder that more than nearly 87% of businesses have implemented a hybrid cloud solution. Keep reading to learn more about cloud vs. on-premises computing and how you can make the right choice for your business.
Choosing between cloud vs. on-premises computing can be a difficult decision for many business owners. Many systems and applications already reside within their on-premises physical infrastructure. Why spend time, money, and effort moving these essential components to the cloud? To understand why so many businesses have decided to switch, you first need to understand the differences between cloud vs. on-premises computing.
On-premises computing is exactly what it sounds like. Your computing resources and infrastructure, such as data centers, hardware, and servers, are all physically hosted onsite within the confines of your business. With on-premises solutions, you are typically responsible for maintenance, security, and hardware and software installation for your on-premises servers.
Cloud computing takes all of these computing resources and hosts them within a cloud infrastructure. Many cloud services, like Microsoft Azure, offer Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) solutions to provide businesses with a streamlined approach to computing and technological management. Under these services, businesses can manage their networks, servers, and data storage completely online while deploying consumer-facing applications. Cloud computing solutions like Microsoft Azure take the responsibility of infrastructure management off the hands of businesses, allowing them to focus on innovation, customer satisfaction and retention, and more.
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Although cloud computing with Microsoft Azure takes the burden of infrastructure management off businesses, how does it actually stack up against on-premises computing? What are the advantages of cloud computing over computing on-premises?
| Azure Cloud | On-Premises | |
|---|---|---|
| Payment | Azure Cloud licenses its services to businesses and manages updates and maintenance for businesses. This eliminates the pay-as-you-go model. With cloud services, you have a predictable monthly rate. | With on-premises computing, businesses have to deal with significant installation, maintenance, and configuration costs. Integrating new hardware and software may also require substantial costs. |
| Customization | With Azure, you can customize many elements of cloud infrastructure, such as the user interface, customer and developer portals, and dashboards. However, you must stay within the confines of Microsoft’s policies. | With on-premises infrastructure, you can customize your IT environment to your heart’s desire. However, this level of control and customization requires that you manage the infrastructure yourself. |
| Support | Azure Cloud services have rapid, 24/7 support that allows you to deal with a variety of technical issues quickly, resulting in increased uptime and better workflow. | When you encounter an issue with your physical server, you need to rely on your in-house IT or a third-party service provider to address it. This can take significant time and effort. |
| Mobility and Accessibility | Cloud infrastructure gives you access to online platforms, services, and applications from any device with an internet connection. This allows you to perform work and manage your infrastructure from anywhere. | Because it’s hosted locally, on-premises infrastructure does not provide the level of accessibility that cloud services do. While you can design applications to fetch data from these servers, it’s expensive and time-consuming. |
| Security | Azure cloud has significant security provisions in place that allow you to prevent, detect, and respond to threats in real time. With its advanced security protocol, you can secure your data and prevent unauthorized access. | While your on-premises security protocol may be secure, you are responsible for maintaining it, by implementing firewalls, encryption, and data backup. Improper maintenance can quickly lead to gaps in your cybersecurity. |
| Disaster Recovery | Azure Cloud provides automated monitoring, data backups, and failover servers that preserve your information in the case of a disaster. Whether you experience a data breach or power outage, Azure brings your system back online quickly. | On-premises data backup and disaster recovery can be challenging since it requires you to either make physical backups or use a second data center. This can lead to you putting all of your eggs in one basket. |
| Scalability | Using cloud services allows you to scale your services up and down based on your needs—you only pay for the resources you use. You can easily add more storage, applications, and more as your business grows. | To expand your on-premises infrastructure, you need to integrate a significant amount of new hardware. This process requires a substantial amount of time, energy, and money. It can also create complicated security and access issues. |
| Encryption | Azure Cloud provides superior encryption services that keep your critical business data secure in transit and at rest. This allows you to maintain compliance requirements as well as overall cybersecurity. | Most encryption practices focus on encrypting data while it’s in transit because that’s when data is most vulnerable. Many on-premises servers don’t encrypt data at rest, which can put your business at risk. |
At Blue Net, we understand it can be difficult to choose between cloud vs. on-premises computing. That’s why we strive to make data migration a seamless process that brings you increased security, storage, and accessibility. Contact us today to learn more about our cloud migration services.
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