In-House or Cloud – Which Is Right for Your Infrastructure

In this era of fast technological advancement, comes another yet endless debate, In-House or Cloud. Because of the new, modernized and reliable services that can be of great help to any growing companies and businesses, traditional services seems to lurk behind their shadows. The most heated debate for most businesses as of now is to whether have or maintain an in-house type of server or go with the current trends and shift to the more advanced cloud server as a commercial data collection and storage platform.

Which is the right choice for your infrastructure?

Although both servers can fulfill your data collection and storing needs, they both have their own advantages and disadvantages that should be considered carefully. Depending on your company or business’ needs, it is quite important that you understand what the right choice for your organization is. In order to determine the best choice for your company or business, here are some of the pros and cons for each server that can help guide you in your decision.

Cloud Server Infrastructure

Cloud server, on the other hand, is a type of logical server that is built and hosted via a cloud computing platform over the internet. Cloud server has similar abilities to the typical server, but its main advantage is that it can be remotely accessed from a cloud service provider.

Pros

1. Your monthly expenses can be predicted because cloud servers come with monthly fixed plans.
2. Cloud servers can be applied quickly, as well as upgrades and changes in an existing system that adds capacity for your business to grow.
3. Cloud servers save space. You do not need large machine servers to store your data.
4. Moreover, it is quite easy to make changes and scale the size of your business intranet without the need to buy more equipment.
5. In case of server issues you might experience, you have your external provider. They will be the expert of your system and will be the one responsible to solve issues.
6. You will have a backup for your data so in case of errors; your data will be safe.
7. With Cloud servers, you can save money for the initial cost because they have lower up-front costs.
8. You do not have to worry about hiring or train an IT personnel. It is because cloud server can be run by your usual employees inside your company.
9. Because cloud server is internet-based, your employees can access data anytime, anywhere.

Cons

1. Cloud service providers require you to give up control of your data. They will be the one to implement rules on how to store and collect information.
2. You will not have any control over when and how your system upgrades are released.
3. In terms of privacy and confidentiality of your data, cloud servers are at a disadvantage. It is because you are literally sharing a server with their other customers and can cause in unauthorized access of data.
4. In case of issues in the cloud server, you will be at the mercy of your provider to fix the problem whether they fix it right away or at a later date.
5. Cloud servers are can have potential data loss due to mishaps. What’s worse is that cloud servers have a higher risk of being hacked that can result in stolen data.
6. While cloud server has lower initial cost, in terms of long terms, it might be quite expensive. It is because cloud service provider makes profits out of it. Moreover, you have to pay every month to keep your system running. This will lead to greater expenses over time.
7. You will not have any resource for maintenance or an in-house IT service provider.
8. Because cloud servers require internet to operate, you might need a higher speed connection that can work smoothly for your entire office.

In-house Server Infrastructure

In-house Servers, like its name implies, is a type of server that is completely owned servers and hardware that are physically located in the company or business property.

Pros

1. Your system is yours to use as you want. You have the independence to design it to your needs and have full authority and control over any changes desired.
2. In the long run, in-house servers cost less. It is because there are no added costs like monthly payments in order to keep it running. Moreover, it cut cost on internet services that are very expensive or if there is no connection in your area.
3. You can have access to a specific solution for your business that works best on fast internal servers and networks.
4. You can manage your passwords, security policies and network with more than 5 users.
5. You will have an in-house team of IT experts and professionals that can deal with any server issues and problems.
6. You can access your data even without internet connection and the slow connection will not interrupt your access either.

Cons

1. You will need to have skills to design your intranet.
2. In-house servers have a much higher initial cost for its implementation. Such cost includes cooling and power expenses for server rooms and expert staffs to operate and maintain your server.
3. You will need to have a strong backup and recovery policies to prevent data loss that may cause by power outages or data theft.
4. Everyone will lose access to the intranet if your network goes down.
5. In-house servers are slow to scale because it usually requires new equipment as your business grows.

Bottom Line

In-house servers and cloud servers can help both small and large business and organizations. They both have their own uniqueness and work. However, if you really want the best for your business, a hybrid mix of both can also be a good idea. You can make use of their advantages and can at least cancel out some disadvantages.