May 31, 2011

Public or Private: Which Cloud Suits You Best?

[caption id="attachment_393" align="alignright" width="425" caption="Public or Private Cloud Computing?"]

[/caption] Cloud computing is said to be the technology of the future. It is computing that is done via the web instead of via the installation of software and hardware on a computer. The applications and information you need are not confined to your company’s hard drive or an internal network; they are stored on servers in a cloud-computing data center, or “in the cloud.” You no longer need to spend time managing hardware. A business owner, her employees, and her clients can access the cloud anywhere in the world via the web. Standard cloud computing is normally purchased on a pay-as-you-go plan, meaning you only pay for the amount of computing capacity that is used. Cloud computing requires fewer capital expenditures to get started and running. Business owners can now spend more time focusing on running their businesses instead of maintaining their computer systems. There are two types of cloud computing: public and private.

Public Cloud Computing

Public computing, which makes resources available to anyone via the internet, is the standard cloud-computing model. Public cloud computing allows for resources to be accessed on a self-service basis through the internet. Public clouds are easy and inexpensive to use, because cloud providers take care of hardware, applications, and other needs. All businesses documents, files, and other assets are managed in an off-site data center. Cloud computing companies are required to keep networks up and running smoothly, and they are responsible for maintaining efficient computing, storage, and development. Benefits of Public Cloud Computing

You pay as you go rather than pay a large sum upfront.
You don’t need to purchase, set up, or maintain an IT infrastructure—your cloud-computing provider will do it for you.
Cloud computing decreases a business owner’s chances of losing data, having corrupt files, or dealing with hard-drive crashes.

Private Cloud Computing

Private cloud-computing services are provided on an internal network to a limited number of people. Private clouds are more expensive than public clouds. Because of the higher costs, private clouds are more commonly used by large corporations. Benefits of Private Cloud Computing

The network, server, and storage are dedicated exclusively to that business.
A business owner can reconfigure a cloud however and whenever he wants.
Private clouds can offer a greater sense of control, since they are the only tenet on that cloud.

Public cloud computing is the standard cloud type, and is growing in popularity due to its large set of benefits. Private clouds, on the other hand, are more likely to benefit larger businesses. Public clouds are less expensive because they are available for purchase on a pay-as-you-go plan, they require minimal IT management because servers are monitored in a cloud-computing data center, and their resources are standardized and available to employees anywhere there is internet access. For more information, visit: 1. SearchCloudComputing.com 2. “What the ‘Private Cloud’ Really Means”