Business Cloud Solutions: How to Choose the Right Service For Your Business

When it comes to business cloud solutions, there are plenty of options to choose from, but how do you choose the right one for your business? As one of the top business cloud solutions providers, we know a thing or two about choosing the right service and today we’ve got some tips to help you to make that choice.

Business Cloud Solutions: Choosing the Right Service For Your Business

Know What Your Business Needs

It’s important that you find a cloud service solution that is as close to perfect for your company as it can be. In order to do that, you need to know what your needs are. Begin by taking a close look at your business and what cloud solution services would be beneficial for you.

Some things to consider while creating your list of requirements for your business’s cloud services include:

  • Do you need cloud storage services?
  • Do you need cloud backup services?
  • Do you need cloud hosting?
  • Is software as a service or programs as a service something that would be beneficial to your company?

What Type of “Cloud” Are You Looking For?

Most people refer to “the cloud” as if it were a single entity, this is not true. There are many “clouds” out there and different cloud service companies offer different categories of cloud.

The three main types of cloud that your business will need to consider are a public cloud, a private cloud, and a hybrid cloud.

The Public Cloud

A public cloud is a service built on an external platform where your company has it’s own cloud, however, the infrastructure of that cloud is shared. A public cloud is managed by an external team who work for the cloud service company.

Think of this like renting an office suite within an office building. You have use of your own suite within the building but cannot customize the space as much as you would like since you don’t own it and you share common areas with other renters in the building (for example, a copy room, elevators, and the building lobby).

The benefits to using a public cloud include:

  • Lower cost
  • Great performance
  • More flexibility for growing businesses
  • They are kept up to date with the latest technology

The drawbacks of using a public cloud include:

  • Increased susceptibility to attacks from malware and viruses

The drawbacks of the public cloud can be mitigated if you are working with a reputable cloud services company.

The Private Cloud

A private cloud is a service built on an internal platform within the walls of your company using your own hardware and software. A private cloud is one that your own IT staff must manage.

Think of this like owning your own office building. You have someone come in to customize the building to your needs and all of the resources in that building – the copy room etc. – are yours and yours alone. Unlike renting office space within a larger building, however, it’s up to you to maintain the entire building.

The benefits of using a private cloud include:

  • Flexibility – you can have your cloud set up to meet your specific needs.
  • More control over your cloud.

The drawbacks of using a public cloud include:

  • Expense – building your own data center is expensive.
  • Building a data center requires having the space to build that data center.

Private cloud services are generally recommended for big businesses, they are not as cost-effective for small businesses and startups.

The Hybrid Cloud

A hybrid cloud is an option that uses both public and private clouds. With the hybrid cloud, your company IT team is responsible for managing the in-house cloud service and the rest is managed off-site by a cloud provider.

Think of this like buying an office suite within an office building. You own your own suite and can customize that space to your company needs, but the building is still cared for by a maintenance company that takes care of common areas like the lobby and the elevator.

The benefits of using a hybrid cloud include:

  • Having more control over sensitive information
  • Reduced expense compared to having a private cloud only
  • Having in-house and external management teams

The drawbacks of using a public cloud include:

  • Streamlining two cloud systems
  • More expensive than a public cloud option

Interested in Learning More About Business Cloud Solutions?

If you’re interested in learning more about business cloud solutions or need a hand in choosing the right cloud solution for your business, Tekulus is here to help. Just give us a call today at 510-592-8530 and let us know how we can help you!