Many business owners mistakenly believe they must make a choice between an in-house data storage and processing system on one hand and the cloud on the other. Because of the risks associated with the cloud, this choice is overwhelming to some. For example, although the cloud can offer many benefits, it also poses potential threats to security and compliance, which makes business owners nervous. Fortunately, a compromise is available in the form of a hybrid cloud.
What is a hybrid cloud?
A hybrid cloud is a blend of the public cloud and an in-house database management system. When your business implements a hybrid cloud, it stores some of its data in the cloud and the rest in an in-house storage system. In most cases, businesses choose to keep their most sensitive data in house, while the rest of their data is transferred to storage space in the cloud. Businesses may also utilize the public cloud for some of their application development.
The benefits of hybrid clouds
Hybrid clouds offer many of the same benefits as standard cloud technology. To begin, they’re scalable, which means your business pays for only the storage space and other resources it needs at any given time. Hybrid clouds are also more cost-effective than complete in-house storage solutions, since you won’t need to purchase any extra infrastructure in order to use them. Furthermore, hybrid clouds allow you to entrust much of your data management to the cloud provider, which means you won’t need as many IT professionals on staff, and those that are on staff can focus more of their time on strategic tasks to move the company forward.
Unlike a full cloud solution, hybrid clouds also allow you to keep your most important data safe in your own storage systems. This allows your company to retain some control over its data while simultaneously taking advantage of the many benefits of public cloud databases.
Who can benefit from a hybrid cloud?
The hybrid approach can be helpful to many businesses, but it’s ideal for companies with certain requirements when it comes to handling data. For example, a business that already owns and utilizes an infrastructure for storing data in house can implement a hybrid cloud easily. As its needs continue to grow, the company can move some of its less important data to the cloud while keeping sensitive files in its established storage systems. A hybrid cloud is also appropriate for businesses that manage well on their own but require extra resources to handle occasional spikes in traffic. Finally, if your company is subject to legislation or industry regulations that determine how your data should be stored, a hybrid cloud may be your best solution, allowing you to keep regulated data in house and move unregulated data to the cloud.
Most business owners would admit that the cloud has a lot of potential, even if they aren’t using it yet. Building a hybrid cloud is an excellent way to bring the cloud into your business processes without giving up all your control.
