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Private cloud, Public cloud: Which Will You Choose?

There has been plenty of talking and debating about moving applications to a cloud service. For those who know the benefits and see the value in implementing cloud services and cloud computing, one of the questions has to be what kind of cloud should you choose? Will it be private cloud or public cloud? A private cloud using your resources that are located in your data centre? Since the private cloud is built using your resources it gives you the control, and at the same time it means you have to carry the overhead of the management. 

Cloud computing has probably been one of the most promoted or hyped trends in information technology. That is probably because when cloud services are used effectively, a virtual infrastructure can give a business plenty of advantages over the usage of the traditional data centers. 

When utilising public could services, you will not have to shoulder the burden of management. Public cloud services will cost you the expense of obtaining some control. There is an option that may give you a chance to enjoy the best of both sides, and that will be a hybrid approach. Still, with the hybrid approach you will have to choose between private cloud and public cloud. 

The decision on the choice will likely come down to certain factors that are based on a business or organisation's needs. Although there has been much debate about which choice will be the best, there are several different reasons why the public cloud is emerging as the front runner for a significant number of businesses.

The public cloud deployments are mainly used for development systems and/or web servers. The public cloud can deliver better results and gives the most value to a large number of businesses. Private clouds are mostly preferred by mid size and large size businesses. Private clouds are preferred by these enterprises because of the compliance requirements and the security requirements that it meets for bigger organisations and all of the customers. 

For more information on what cloud service will be best for your business or organisation, contact us.

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Have you considered the hidden costs of on-premise solutions?

One can hardly turn the proverbial corner online these days without being virtually bombarded with articles and advertisements touting the virtues of the cloud. In fact, it has become such a force in business today that every company, regardless of size, is being forced to make a decision; cloud or on premise. It therefore becomes vital to have all of the information you need to make a truly informed decision, one that will contribute to your company's success now and in the long run. One of the most important factors to keep in mind is often the hidden costs of on-premise solutions.

These are some considerations to keep in mind:

The initial selection process for products can be quite involved from an on-premise perspective. A company can expend a significant amount of time and resources selecting a software solution or application, not to mention the database and operating system. With the cloud, the primary consideration is only that the software and applications work for your business.

Cloud solutions are handled by experts off-site. What is the real cost of long-term maintenance if your solution is managed on your office premises? Remember to consider annual salaries, electricity, heating, cooling and if your office has enough space.   

Virtually every software comes with seemingly countless small upgrades, patches, and testing that will need to be cared for throughout its life. Then, of course, are the even larger updates that will need to be re-deployed and customisations to be re-implemented across the entire organization each time with substantial disruption to the business. Cloud solutions provide minimal disruption to users as all updates and changes are conducted all off-site.

What are your other operating costs? These can include backing-up and restoring data, increased storage, procurement and maintenance of storage devices themselves, etc.

On-premise services will not only require staff training, but repeated training as changes and updates occur to the system; or with the addition of new staff to accommodate for user and system growth.

Integrating on premise solutions with web servers and online applications are generally more difficult than with platforms that are already web and cloud service ready. 

On premise solutions will rarely come packaged for a specific company's size and needs. Therefore, keep in mind the costs of scalability and adaptability.

For businesses that would struggle with all the large upfront costs required for software licensing, hardware and infrastructure, cloud solutions provide a cost-effective alternative based on a pay-as-you go subscription structure.

  All of these costs are either non-existent or at least significantly reduced by choosing the cloud. At its most basic, the only ways to make money in business are to either increase revenue or decrease costs; a Cloud solution can help you do this. Contact us to find out how, by eliminating the numerous small costs associated with on-premise solutions and regain profits in terms of both time and money.

#Cloud Accounting software #Total cost of ownership #Microsoft Dynamics #DynamicsGP