The Cloud vs. Data Centre

There is sometimes confusion about the differences between cloud-based servers and data centres, so we’re going to explain the key components of each one. Ultimately, the cloud acts as a ‘virtual’ data centre—it functions in a similar way, but is based on the internet rather than in a physical location. As well as looking at the differences between the two, we’re going to discuss which option would be better for your business.

Cost

For small companies, a cloud service is usually a more cost-effective option. Building an in-house data centre can cost thousands of pounds depending on the company’s requirements. As well as maintaining and paying for the host building, other costs can arise from the high-levels of electricity used by the machinery along with the air-conditioning required to keep the machines cool.

On the other hand, the virtuality of the cloud means that almost all costs are associated with service rather than infrastructure. This is something to definitely bear in mind if costs are an important factor for your business.

Performance

You might assume that a faster speed would be achieved when using a localised data centre, but this is not always the case. Whilst it’s true that lags rarely occur when using your own data storage facility, a lot of the time it comes down to broadband speeds.

At ICT Solutions, we will only ever use high-speed broadband, with added failover layers to ensure that you always have access to your systems.

Security

With localised data centres, there is complete data visibility. This something that you can’t achieve as easily on the cloud, as your data is stored on a shared server. For governments and similar organisations, restrictions might actually prevent them from putting on cloud-based servers because of this reason.

But for other organisations, this shouldn’t be an issue. Using the cloud can be just as secure as a data centre, and a way to guarantee that is to choose a cloud provider who you can trust.

Here at ICT Solutions, we use hosted servers with high levels of security, and have a 100% positive track record to prove it. Furthermore, we have corporate level backup options and disaster recovery plans to give you peace of mind.

Scalability

With its endless storage ability, the cloud is easy to scale up and down. On the other hand, the physical resources required to expand a data centre are much more laborious. So when it comes to scalability, the two are pretty incomparable.

With our cloud services, we take a bespoke approach and do not offer any specific server packages. This is so we can tailor our servers specifically to each client’s individual business needs. What’s also great is that we maintain an on-going relationship with our clients once everything is set up, so if you do need to scale up or down at any point, we’ll be on hand to assist.

Find out more about our cloud services

Hopefully this has provided you with a good insight into the differences between data centres and cloud-based servers.

If you’re looking for an effective data storage solution, then ICT Solutions could provide you with excellent cloud-based hosted server. As well as being cost-effective, secure and easy to manage, cloud services are an eco-friendly solution that can help you to do your bit for the environment too.

To find out more, take a look at our cloud services in more detail, where you can also get in touch to discuss your specific requirements.