when to use public and private cloud

When to Use Public Cloud, Private Cloud, and Hybrid Cloud

Cloud technology might be rising in adoption. Flexibility and scalability are one of the main factors in migration. But, we know that many organizations are still on their legacy infrastructure like on-premise. The decision to migrate to cloud infrastructure will depend on an organization’s specific needs and circumstances. It may not be the right choice for every organization, but it can be a valuable option for many.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the concept of “utility computing” emerged, in which organizations could rent computing resources on a pay-per-use basis, rather than having to purchase and maintain their own infrastructure. This was the precursor to modern cloud computing.

In 2006, Amazon Web Services (AWS) launched its cloud computing platform, which provided on-demand access to computing resources such as storage, networking, and computing power. This marked the beginning of the modern era of cloud computing, and many other companies soon followed suit, including Microsoft, Google, and IBM.

Since then, cloud computing has become increasingly popular, with many organizations choosing to use it for a wide range of applications, including data storage, analytics, and machine learning. The development of cloud technology has also made it possible for organizations to easily scale up or down as needed, and to access their data and applications from anywhere with an internet connection.

There are several situations in which it may be beneficial to use cloud computing instead of an on-premises solution:

  1. Cost: Cloud computing can often be more cost-effective than an on-premises solution, especially for small businesses or organizations that don’t have the resources to invest in hardware and infrastructure.
  2. Scalability: Cloud computing allows you to easily scale up or down as your needs change, without the need to purchase additional hardware.
  3. Flexibility: With cloud computing, you can access your data and applications from any device with an internet connection, giving you greater flexibility and mobility.
  4. Reliability: Cloud service providers typically have robust infrastructure and backup systems in place to ensure the availability and reliability of your data and applications.
  5. Security: Many cloud service providers offer advanced security measures to protect your data and applications, which can be difficult and costly to replicate on-premises.

In general, cloud computing can be a good choice for organizations that want to focus on their core business and leave the management of infrastructure and technology to experts. It can also be a good choice for organizations that need to scale quickly or that have variable or unpredictable computing needs.

The Advantage of Public Cloud

Public clouds are the most common type of cloud computing deployment. The cloud resources like servers and storage are owned and operated by a third-party cloud service provider and delivered over the internet. With a public cloud, all hardware, software, and other supporting infrastructure are owned and managed by the cloud provider.

In a public cloud, clients share the same hardware, storage, and network devices with other organizations or clients, and you access services and manage your account using a web browser. Public cloud deployments are frequently used to provide web-based email, online office applications, storage, and testing and development environments.

If you are experiencing the first cloud solution, with a growing business like a startup and another rapid scale-up business model, then the public cloud might suit you best. This is because you don’t need heavy maintenance on your infrastructure and application. you only need to optimize the tools and be efficient with your operations. this solution also offers a cost reduction than other types of cloud service. some platform that we are familiar with is Google Workspace with the capability to manage a hybrid and collaborative workforce.

The Advantage of Private Cloud

A private cloud consists of cloud computing resources used exclusively by one business or organization. The private cloud can be physically located at your organization’s on-site data center, or it can be hosted by a third-party service provider. But in a private cloud, the services and infrastructure are always maintained on a private network and the hardware and software are dedicated solely to your organization.

In this way, a private cloud can make it easier for an organization to customize its resources to meet specific IT requirements. Private clouds are often used by government agencies, financial institutions, and other mid-to-large-size organizations with business-critical operations seeking enhanced control over their environment.

If you seek stability and more control over your infrastructure, then this solution might satisfy you. For some companies with compliance needs such as financial services and government, the private cloud also offers guarantees to meet the regulations. This is because you need more secure data regulation and fast processing of your applications.

The Advantage of Hybrid Cloud

A hybrid cloud is a type of cloud computing that combines on-premises infrastructure—or a private cloud—with a public cloud. Hybrid clouds allow data and apps to move between the two environments.

Many organizations choose a hybrid cloud approach due to business imperatives such as meeting regulatory and data sovereignty requirements, taking full advantage of on-premises technology investment, or addressing low latency issues.

The hybrid cloud is evolving to include edge workloads as well. Edge computing brings the computing power of the cloud to IoT devices—closer to where the data resides. By moving workloads to the edge, devices spend less time communicating with the cloud, reducing latency, and they are even able to operate reliably in extended offline periods.

While hybrid cloud refers to operation within your on-premise and cloud environment, multi-cloud can refer to your operation within your multiple cloud provider like combining Google Cloud with AWS or Azure, etc. Then, this can provide you with the flexibility to manage load from one cloud to another. You can also get greater flexibility, more deployment options, security, compliance, and getting more value from their existing infrastructure. But on the other hand, you still need to maintain the balance between these multiple sources of solutions.

reference https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/cloud-computing-dictionary/what-are-private-public-hybrid-clouds/#overview

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