Cloud storage continues to evolve as more businesses move their data to the cloud from traditional on-site storage. In fact, industry analyst firm IDC predicts the global cloud market will reach $200 billion by 2018.
Cloud storage allows employees to access data from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection, 24/7. It is a service where data is remotely stored, maintained, managed and backed up on a network of remote servers. Cloud storage offers businesses many advantages including usability across multiple devices and platforms, reduced bandwidth use, easy accessibility, enhanced disaster protection and recovery plus significant cost savings.
Make the Right Choice for Your Needs
As more businesses are taking advantage of cloud storage, managed service providers have been creating plans to fit their needs. Currently there are three main types of cloud storage available. They are:
• The Public Cloud – The public cloud is the most well-known form of cloud storage. Here businesses or people pay to purchase a “slice” of server space in a shared cloud computing environment. Typically, this service operates as a “pay as you go” model; you pay only for what you need and there is no contract to deal with. The public cloud often has a lower level of security than the private cloud and may be more susceptible to hacks.
• The Private Cloud – The private cloud is exactly as it sounds; it is a private server exclusively dedicated to your business. It is highly secure and is hosted offsite by a third party provider referred to as a Managed IT Service provider. Proprietary data, inter-office communication and sensitive data are more secure and easily controlled in a private cloud environment. Storage and networking components can be customized to fit a business’ specific needs.
• Hybrid Cloud – The hybrid cloud offers users a combination of both on premise and private cloud features. It gives a company the flexibility to store their confidential data on premise and use the private cloud to store the rest of their less-sensitive information. This type of service offers scalability, cost efficiencies, security and flexibility.
If you’d like to learn more about which option may be best for your business, tune in to our upcoming webinar – SMB’s Path To Private Cloud: The Right Road For Your Business? Taking place on Tuesday, February 16th, 2 pm EST on the ARLINGTON Partner Pro website. Archive is available for viewing after the air date.
