The hybrid cloud, as the name suggests, is a combination of private and public clouds. A part of the client’s application and infrastructure works in a private cloud, and the rest is located in the public cloud space. It is often the case that the data is privately owned, but microservices are used from the public cloud.
Each of the available cloud computing possibilities has strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, when choosing the right solution for yourself, you should take into account the most important factors: your needs, legal regulations, price and of course, required by the specifics of our company, the level of security.
In the case of small and medium enterprises, the situation is clearer. Usually, the ratio of data storage within public and private infrastructure should be balanced. In this case, the choice of a hybrid cloud is obvious. The only thing you need to think of, is how to split the database proportionally between private and public infrastructures. Similarly for the largest companies there will be a need to divide certain resources between public and private clouds as well.
When is the public cloud needed?
The easiest and fastest available solutions are frequently chosen by entrepreneurs especially in industries where no special legal regulations defining security requirements are needed and are not required by the company’s security policy.
Most companies using public clouds support a large number of customers who interact with them via the Internet. Public clouds are often used when working on projects that involve many separate entities, like research institutions or non-governmental organizations.
Is private cloud a good solution for you?
It is generally assumed that cloud computing does not require investment in its own infrastructure. However, it turns out that there are many situations in which companies either cannot or do not want to decide to invest in a public cloud.
Undeniably, the most important advantage of private clouds is increased data security. Let’s look at an online shop example: it stores sensitive customer data, has a pricing, rebate or loyalty system. You can only be sure about security of all this data, when it is safely kept within your or dedicated infrastructure.
There are situations in which you have no other choice and if you want to store data in the cloud, you must decide on a private one. This is due to legal regulations regarding data management, imposed by the law for some industries who deal with sensitive data every day.
It is worth noticing that with the increased security of the private cloud, you will face higher fees. That is why small and medium-sized companies are rarely opting for private cloud solutions – they are simply too expensive and impossible for them to maintain. Consequently, private clouds are often a first choice of corporations with international reach or large companies operating on the national level.
Maybe it is time for hybrid solution?
This type of solution is quite flexible and we can find completely different variants: you can either use the services of many providers who offer both public and private variants or services of a single company that provides a hybrid solution. In case of a hybrid, we will pay much less than for a private cloud and at the same time we will have the access to personalization of the service provided and a sufficiently high level of security.
The most important advantages of a hybrid cloud are:
- More safety. Every business has a variety of sensitive data that must not be shared publicly outside the company. The leak may result in serious losses for a given company: both financial and image. Not only it may harm the clients personally but also the company itself. Do not risk it and always put safety of data as your top priority when choosing a hybrid solution.
- Flexibility. With hybrid you will have much more flexibility than with a homogeneous solution. There is no problem to put more emphasis on either the private cloud or the public. You can respond and adjust much faster to internal and external business needs.
- Lowering fixed costs. You have both less and more radical options here. For example, if you want to save more money, you may require an external company to provide you with remote employees to maintain the entire hybrid solution you have adopted. This way you save in-house costs of recruiting more people. On the other hand, it reduces the effectiveness of the flexibility. That is why it is very important to create a customized solution for your company, adjusted to the budget you have.
- Know-how from experienced suppliers. Seeking a solution to the problem when you are not exactly sure what to do, can be both frustrating and time-consuming. That is why it is worth using the services of people who constantly deal with a given issue and exactly know what to do.
Dariusz Wojcik is ICT Product Manager at Comarch
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