Private Cloud Storage: How is it different from public cloud storage?

More businesses recognize the affordability, reliability, and scalability of storing data in the cloud. But the question often asked is whether to choose public cloud storage, private cloud storage, or hybrid cloud services using local and off-site resources.

There are often misconceptions about private cloud infrastructure and storage. Here we’re helping you understand what private cloud storage is and what it is not.

What is Private Cloud Storage?

The private cloud has a secured cloud-based environment limited to specific client use only. It offers the same virtual environment and computing power as public or hybrid cloud services but is only accessible by one organization (providing they have great control and privacy).

Private cloud infrastructures contain higher levels of network security. Rather than multiple clients accessing virtual services and resources from the same pool of servers, private cloud services access their own pool of resources. This may include physical computers hosted internally or externally and secure encrypted connections or private leased lines via public networks.

Private cloud storage offers the additional security many organizations need to carry out sensitive tasks or process private data. For example, sensitive data for financial companies or health care providers.

The features and benefits of private cloud storage include:

• Higher privacy and security
• More control to align with an organization’s needs
• Cost-effective and energy efficient over time
• Improved reliability and resiliency to individual failures

 

What the Private Cloud Isn’t

While private cloud computing may be a great solution for many organizations, be careful not to fall into the “hype.” Base your decision on what makes the most business sense. The private cloud has a few misconceptions.

1. It may not save you moneyright away – With the cloud, you’re not paying for large data center space and staff to support them, but other costs involved can make it a significant financial investment. Take automation technology as an example. This is an important part of private cloud infrastructure and can be a large investment for many IT organizations. While the cloud can relocate resources for efficiency and help companies reduce expenses for new hardware, money shouldn’t be the only reason to run to the cloud. It should be for improved scalability and agility which improves speed to market.
2. A private cloud isn’t always on-site – Many view the public cloud as a third-party provider off-site while the private cloud is located in an organization’s data center. Private clouds are often sold off-site with resources dedicated to a single client. The main difference? The off-site private cloud offers privacy without sharing resources. When exploring off-site private cloud services, ask how the off-premise cloud offering works.
3. The cloud may not need to be private–While privacy is important now and will continue to be, the future may bring more advances to public cloud storage security which may cause more businesses to be open to the idea. Many private clouds may evolve into hybrid cloud services by leveraging both public and private resources.

Are you weighing the benefits of public cloud storage versus private storage? At Datera, we can help you decide which cloud computing solution is best for your organization. Get in touch with us today.