If you’re tired of retrofitting closets into PC storage rooms, along with the constant whirring of fans, heat, and dust, Cloud storage is the solution for your office.
Not only is it economically and environmentally friendly, but the inherent off-site quality of using cloud storage is great for remote work accessibility. Have recent events forced you to reconsider and evaluate your business continuity plan? The cloud is future-proofed, ready-built for disasters, so you can keep connected and productive during any circumstances.
Let’s explore some of the pros and cons of off-site cloud storage vs. on-site services.
The Need for Speed
If your business requires fast downloads and uploads, then cloud services are the best choice for your data storage. When you’re storing all of your critical business on-site, not only do things slow down in a hurry based upon usage, but one bad storm or power outage could render your business kaput.
Rules and Regulations
Are you storing your client’s data illegally? There’s a lot of risk and loopholes when you use on-site storage. One bad employee, a careless download, or a compromised flash drive could unleash a massive data breach that risks all of your client’s privacy and a loss to business revenue.
When it comes to the cloud, you have some considerations to make regarding the geographical location of the servers, especially if you’re an international company. Compliance is anything but black and white. There is a lot of gray area between HIPAA, FINRA, and all of the various regulatory authorities regarding how you process and store data.
Managed Cloud Services is your best bet to cover all compliance and data security bases. At Emerge, we offer custom-tailored solutions for backup, compliance, and security with our dedicated Data Protection team.
Wild Wild Web
Data security is paramount in the age of epic data breaches. A savvy hacker can easily gain access to most company’s files through an exploit in an app or otherwise. This is why constantly updating security patches for all of your software is critical to stay ahead of digital thieves.
If you do your homework you will find that even with the strictest encryption, dealing with a 3rd party for cloud services has risks. However, you will also find that on-site storage isn’t much safer. This is where partnering with Data Security experts becomes vital to increase your protection. If your IT team calls in sick, has a lazy day, or simply misses a beat on incoming network traffic or security updates, you’re in trouble.
Outsource your cloud or on-site data protection with an IT team dedicated to your data security and compliance needs. Even if you have an on-site team, multiple layers are recommended. Always have a backup for your backup.
Money, Money, Money
So let’s get to the brass tacks, how much does it cost? You’ll want to consider factors such as the lifespan of your IT infrastructure. On-site devices, hardware, and software can become outdated in surprisingly short periods.
Would you rather own the hardware & software and have to constantly upgrade and replace over the years? Or would you prefer to rent your infrastructure and have it automatically updated? Both will cost, but the former is going to incur more resource expenditure over time.
The consideration may come down to recurring costs vs. once-in-awhile (unpredictable) costs. Using this logic, you may conclude that on-site is less costly upfront but potentially more costly long-term. Off-site is going to be more predictable and you can run those numbers with certainty when budgeting.
Best of Both Worlds
There are no rules and many different ways to effectively implement cloud storage solutions for your business. Perhaps you don’t want to go all or nothing, but rather do a mixed local and cloud-based strategy. When you partner with a Cloud Migration specialist, this can be done optimally.
Protect your Salesforce, Google Apps, and more while still retaining local backup and peace of mind. Custom solutions like this and multi-cloud are common requests from businesses that aren’t ready to go fully off-site with their data.
Whichever path you choose, Emerge IT can help you strategize, plan, implement, and manage your IT infrastructure and more. Contact our Cloud experts today and give your business the digital edge and experience that will future-proof your processes.