We’ve talked a lot here about cloud storage for the home user vs. keeping your data on your computer or a physical back-up drive. It’s also a decision that more and more businesses and other organizations have to make.
There are generally two broad options to choose from. You can either build an in-house database or turn to a cloud provider for a storage solution.
In-House Solution
Building an in-house storage solution requires a pretty hefty investment up front, and of course, the system will require maintenance and updates. That being said, there are several advantages to an in-house solution.
1. Full Control of Your Data
Many companies don’t like the idea of giving up control of their data to a third party, especially if that data is highly sensitive or has to meet specific compliance regulations. An in-house solution allows businesses to maintain full control of their data and know where it is at all times. It also allows that company to use its own security measures to keep that data safe.
2. Customizable
Building your own data storage center also provides the benefit of customizing the center to your specific business needs. Cloud providers may offer some customization, but building your own offers full autonomy to get the most benefit out of your solution, such as comparing flash storage vs. hard drive for certain applications.
3. No Outside Dependence
Finally, having a storage solution in-house prevents you from having any dependence on third parties who may go out of business or experience a system failure that you have no control over.
Cloud Provider
Cloud providers offer an easy storage option for those companies that don’t want to deal with the hassle of building their own, don’t have the expertise to maintain one or need a more elastic option. With a cloud provider, you do run the risk of using a third party and no longer having full control of your data or how the storage solution is set up. However, there are several advantages to choosing a cloud provider.
1. No Maintenance
One major benefit of using a cloud provider is that the provider will take care of any maintenance that needs to be done, leaving your IT people more time to work on projects. This also eliminates a good portion of your maintenance costs.
2. Cost Effective
Using a cloud provider can also be more cost effective in certain situations. Many cloud providers charge on a per-use basis. This means that if you need to collect data for a temporary project, you will only pay for that space while you are using it, rather than having to buy additional hardware to support the extra data.
3. Scalable
Finally, a cloud database offers the scalability to easily increase or decrease the space you are using without having to physically expand a database.
Many enterprises choose to take advantage of both options by storing sensitive data in-house and running projects that need scalability in the cloud. Ultimately, the decision to use in-house, go to the cloud or use a hybrid of the two depends on the individual situation of each company.
My worry is that “what if” the cloud storage places get hacked and data gets stolen. It’s happened with Target and Neiman Marcus and banks…. I’d rather keep my data on my external drive and unplugged from the computer. I think that’s the safest way…
With Cloud computing or any outside party there is always a risk of being compromised and it happens more than we know.