The challenges for a company that wants to stay productive and with reduced costs in the area of technology are increasing. To be more competitive and have optimized internal services, many companies face the dilemma of deploying solutions in an internal, cloud or hybrid environment. This choice depends on a more optimized and practical use of systems and information.
Each of the solutions has its advantages and disadvantages and it is important to know each one well to define the most appropriate solution for your organization. If you still have questions about which model is the best for your company and want to know the characteristics of each of these solutions, check out our article!
Internal Servers
An internal server is a “computer” designed to gather all the information, applications and websites of a company. It can be located either in the headquarters of a corporation or in a data center of its own. Through it, your employees will access internal programs, e-mail services and any data stored in it. This type of solution typically has a higher installation and maintenance cost than that of an outsourced cloud computing server. The costs of purchasing equipment, hiring maintenance staff and licensing any security program will be borne by the company owning the hardware, other than a cloud server, where costs are diluted among data center customers.
Because it does not rely on an external network to be connected to the organization, this type of server has a much lower chance of becoming unavailable compared to other alternatives. If this is not the case and the server makes use of an internet link, it is necessary to have a good connection, which can keep the device always working. This will prevent critical files and systems from becoming unavailable.
Often, this type of solution is chosen by companies that work with a lot of sensitive information or are looking for more agility in the management of large databases. However, there will always be a need for a rigid and well-built security policy in this case.
Servers are machines that must be maintained in controlled access environments and internal and virtual surveillance systems. If possible, keep backup machines separate from main machines. This prevents you from losing all data if any catastrophe happens. By controlling the people who have access to the servers and designing well the location where the machines are allocated, you can prevent problems of loss and data leakage and attacks by malicious people. Of course, all this will require investments in monitoring equipment, dedicated staff to the management and maintenance of servers, physical space, and infrastructure dedicated to the allocation of servers within your organization.
Cloud Computing
The cloud computing gained momentum in the last decade with the highest popularity of internet and cloud storage services. A service that until recently was expensive and complicated to use, started to have low contracting prices and interfaces increasingly focused on the needs of the user. By using multiple computers in their structure, these companies also allow a server to be hired and prepared for use within seconds without the IT manager having to worry about buying internal devices and bureaucracies.
This technology is also capable of resolving a financially burdensome barrier to a company: storage and maintenance of idle equipment. As the contracting of resources is done on demand, the IT manager can request more or less amount of virtual processing and storage as the company needs. And since most companies offering cloud solutions have plans whose prices vary according to demand, you only pay for what you use on a day-to-day basis.
The decrease in costs occurs through the apportionment of expenses with maintenance, hardware exchange, the hiring of personnel, electricity, and internet among all commercial partners of the cloud computing company. This division also includes sharing the same information storage structure across multiple companies, but with tight identity control and access to information.
Some companies that offer cloud computing services have free or low-cost plans but include in their terms of service clauses telling consumers that the data they have can go through the analysis of artificial intelligence algorithms and classification of information. This collected data is used only for service improvement – or for product sales through targeted advertising. Something that does not happen with MilesWeb Cloud, for example.
In the end, this kind of solution has become more interesting compared to local servers, and it’s not too difficult to understand why cloud servers are easier to get, more scalable and require no maintenance and renewal costs. hardware and software. This convenience also comes with automatic backups and faster file restoration. In addition, it requires less long-term investment (compared to a local server) for both maintenance and infrastructure upgrades, which can be done quickly. To complement, support, availability assurance – if you have a stable internet connection – and monitoring capabilities are often better and more dynamic compared to built-in solutions.
What is the best solution: internal server or cloud hosting?
In general, both solutions have their advantages and disadvantages. There are organizations that choose only one type of server, and some end up defining a mixed (hybrid) strategy, migrating some of their services to the cloud and keeping others “in the house“. As such, they can keep their sites and systems hosted in the cloud and their most sensitive systems stored locally.
It is necessary for your company to plan the choice and adoption when choosing a solution. Switching from a local to a cloud server can end up causing harm if it is poorly planned and does not always represent a significant cost reduction. That’s why a consultancy can help you choose the right solution for your company.
Still have questions about which solution to choose? Leave a comment so that our experts can answer your questions.