When it comes to data storage and management, it is true that you have options. You can go for on-premise data storage and management, use Colocation services or a cloud services provider. Each of these has its own advantages and disadvantages. The choice you make will be greatly influenced by your own business needs.
It is therefore important that you evaluate what your business needs are in terms of data storage and the management. This is the only way to choose an option that will best serve you. That said it is still in your best interests to get well acquainted with what all of the 3 alternatives represent. Knowing what they are will make it easier to choose. Let’s start with on-premise data.
On-Premise Data
These are software installations that are managed and maintained by the organization itself. They are often managed by an organization’s IT department. The main appeal of on-premise data management systems is that they provide the organization more control and better data security.
They however require a dedicated IT department and dedicated hardware, making them rather expensive to set up and manage. The question is, how much do you value data security?
On- Premise is for you if…
- Your organization has strict security requirements and sensitive data that you need complete control over.
- If you have a section on your organization’s data that you would rather not expose to the internet for security reasons.
- You can afford a large and involved IT department that can handle all your updates, backups and upgrades.
Colocation
Colocation is allowing a professional data center to house all your servers and devices. There are several benefits to using this method of data location. Some of them include access to economies of scale, availability of greater bandwidth, advanced infrastructure and greater security.
In some ways it is similar to cloud data management without the ability to access stored data on the internet. This means it is more secure than cloud while giving you all the benefits of managed data solutions.
Considering the findings of the 10th Cost of Data Breaches study, colocation may be a good idea to keep data secure without the added expense of dedicated IT hardware.
Colocation is for you if…
- You would like more control on your data management systems without having an expensive IT department
- You would like to keep your organization’s data secure
- You want better monitoring and technical services such as backups and firewall
Cloud Hosted
This is where your software installations are hosted on a third party server. You will require an internet connection to access the data. The main appeal of cloud hosted solutions is that they take over management of your data so you don’t have to. They will do backups, upgrades, monitoring and even updates on your behalf and usually at no additional costs.
Its benefits mean that up to 88% of all companies utilize cloud hosted solutions. It is however important that the solution you choose address the issue of data security. The good news is most cloud service providers take data security very seriously.
Cloud Hosted is for you if…
- You don’t want to have to worry about purchasing and maintaining hardware and server software
- You don’t have a huge IT department that can handle all the data management activities
- You actually want users to be able to access your organization’s data from anywhere provided they have internet access.
Which one of the 3 best suits your organization’s needs? Share your choice with us as well as the reasons for your choice in the comments section below.