increased 34.4%, while non-cloud IT spending decreased by 8%.
Not all cloud tools are created equally, however. Some are stand-alone apps that you may hope will integrate with other systems, others are all-in-one platforms that bring several tools together, like Microsoft 365.
There’s also a difference between public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud (use of both public and private). It’s important to know the difference between the different types and how they can impact how efficient and secure your cloud infrastructure is.
You can think of the choice between public and private cloud as choosing the blueprint and foundational elements for a home. Everything you add to the house later is dependent upon those foundational elements and they’ll dictate things like whether or not you can add on additions and the cost of renovations.
The same is true for your cloud foundation. Choosing the type of cloud environment you use (public or private, or a mix of both) is going to dictate what types of business applications you can add and how easy it will be to make renovations to your network infrastructure.
To help you get a better understanding of this important technology foundation, we’ll go over the difference between public and private cloud, as well as the benefits and disadvantages of each.
Public Cloud Explained
The public cloud is the one that most people are using every day. If you have a social media account, you’re using the public cloud. If your company uses a tool like Slack or Zoom, you’re also using the public cloud.
Public cloud means that your data is being stored on a cloud server that is owned and operated by the cloud service provider and that is also being used for other users’ data.
In a public cloud environment, hundreds of different company accounts for a SaaS tool may be hosted on the same server, separated by account containers the provider has in place.
Advantages of Public Cloud
Fast & Easy: There is no special server configuration that you do on your own to make a cloud tool available. It’s there and ready to go as soon as you sign up for an account.
No Maintenance: When downtime occurs, you don’t have to jump into action and try to figure out how to get the server back up and running, the SaaS provider is responsible for that. You don’t have any ongoing maintenance with public cloud.
Usually Less Expensive: In most cases using public cloud is less expensive than private because you don’t have an entire server to yourself, so you’re only paying for the space you use.
Disadvantages of Public Cloud
Less Security: You have less control over security and can only use the security settings a provider gives you, but not create policies beyond that.
No Control Over Downtime: The flip side of not having to do anything if the server is down, is that you have no control over when it might come back up.
Server Could Get Blacklisted: If one of the other accounts using a public cloud server decides to send out a bunch of spam, the entire server IP address can get blacklisted, impacting your email delivery if you use email on the server.
Private Cloud Explained
The private cloud is when you host applications in the cloud, but you control the server, and your data is on the server alone. There are no other users or companies on the server.
You control what is hosted on the server and are responsible for administration. The difference between a private cloud and on-premises server is that you are renting, not buying the server, and it’s physically located elsewhere, usually in a data center owned by the private cloud provider.
Advantages of Private Cloud
You Can Completely Control Your Cloud: You have complete control over your cloud environment. If there is a problem, then you don’t have to wait, never knowing when it might be fixed, you can address it directly.
Better Security & Compliance: Using a private cloud allows you to set overarching security policies that can be applied to all your cloud applications. You also gain more peace of mind when it comes to compliance.
You Can Better Integrate Your Cloud Use: Using a private virtual server allows you to host many different cloud apps, your website, email, and other data and processes on the same server for better integration and automation of processes.
Disadvantages of Private Cloud
You’re Responsible for Maintenance: Any server maintenance, security, and downtime response are on you or your IT provider if using private cloud.
Some Apps Can’t Be Used on Private Cloud: You may find that some cloud apps you want to use don’t provide a way to host it on a private cloud. In this case, you may have to go with a hybrid cloud approach.
Longer to Get a New App Up and Running: When working with new software, you have some work to do on the back end to get it loaded onto the server and ready for use.