How to Overcome the Challenges of Enterprise Cloud Storage

Enterprise cloud storage is becoming the main platform for modernizing IT portfolios. Companies are finding greater flexibility, agility, and cost-savings by renting software from vendors such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, and Microsoft. Many aren’t choosing just one either – they’re using elements of several companies.

While the draw to enterprise cloud storage is high, it also comes with significant challenges. The many desirable benefits, including flexibility, accessibility, and limitless scalability, raise important questions about security and compliance, ownership, and integrating data storage.

Enterprise cloud storage can come with a range of challenges which may make choosing the cloud as the primary storage location very difficult. However, the flexibility offered through public cloud services is a strong driver. Therefore, it’s important to recognize what challenges businesses face and how to overcome them so enterprise cloud storage can be an option for your company.

Enterprise Cloud Storage Challenges

The following are common cloud storage challenges companies experience:

•      Capability – Perhaps one of the biggest blockers to using cloud storage is a lack of enterprise capability. This can include data protection, deploying file services, or presenting a familiar interface for their IT team. All of this can add cost and complexity which impacts the adoption of cloud storage.
•         Integration– Cloud storage should not be isolated or in a silo. It needs to integrate with on-premises infrastructure such as applications and local storage. It’s also to your benefit to have your cloud storage interact with enterprise data services management tools. This makes sure you maintain enterprise-level control no matter where your data exists.
•      Gravity– Data can be bulky in size and weight. It can be a challenge to make data flexible to easily move into the cloud. Once it’s there, it can be just as challenging to move it back on-premises or between providers.
•    Security – When to comes to data, security and compliance are critical. Many organizations are developing policies and using tools which can interact with enterprise storage systems to make sure the use of data is understood and completely controlled. This needs to be replicated in the public cloud.

Overcoming Enterprise Storage System Challenges

The first step to adopting an enterprise cloud storage system is understanding the challenges and overcoming them. In some cases, challenges may not be overcome and will require a workaround.

If you can’t accept the limitations of native cloud storage, new vendors are emerging with storage services which can be layered over native storage repositories. Adding these additional enterprise services can play a big role in reducing the risk of using public cloud storage, which is critical to cloud storage adoption. After all, the flexibility and scalability of the cloud can’t be enjoyed at the cost of losing the controls and services demanded by enterprises.

Ready for enterprise data services to take your company to the next level? Datera specializes in bringing the software-defined revolution to enterprise data storage. Contact us today to learn more.