When you run a business, it is imperative for you to regularly back up its data. Otherwise, if a disaster strikes, whether accidentally or through malicious means, you could permanently lose a wealth of varied data – including about your customers and employees.
Worse, with all of that, you could practically lose the business itself. This situation would require you to carefully rebuild data points to form something of the business in its previous health, but none of this would be necessary if you backed up all of this data in advance.
The merits of backing up to the cloud
The “cloud” has become a big buzzword in the world of technology, and many businesses will be able to vouch for the security that the cloud provides. In the cloud, you could maintain copies of crucial data at a distance from where it is more immediately stored.
As a result, should a fire or flood engulf your usual business premises, you can rest assured that, after they are rebuilt, you can simply fetch back any lost data from the cloud. You would even have the option of automating your backups, PCMag.com explains.
That could help you to trim your usual administrative burden, but to which type of cloud should you arrange these backups? There are three types from which you can choose: public, private and hybrid. The Microsoft Azure website explains key differences between them.
Should you go public with the cloud?
At first glance, public cloud might seem the most promising option – especially if your business is still small and so its finances remain tight. Storing files in the cloud is less expensive than transferring them to local storage, not to mention a much more intuitive option.
This is because, with a public cloud service like Azure, you can use the service through a dashboard from the provider itself – in this case, Microsoft. The provider will also handle administrative and data recovery responsibilities that would otherwise have been left with your company. In this sense, public cloud can help you to save time as well as money.
Why you shouldn’t entirely rule out the private cloud
However, your business might have certain assets that are particularly sensitive and so call for higher levels of security than a public cloud service can provide. Even if you don’t deem any of your firm’s data to fall into this category, using an element of private cloud could improve your peace of mind.
Unlike the public alternative, a private cloud is for exclusive use by a single business or organisation. With a public cloud, you would be sharing storage with other “tenants”. In light of this, it isn’t surprising that government agencies and financial institutions tend to particularly favour private clouds, over which they can exert enhanced control for business-critical operations.
Why hybrid cloud can be the Goldilocks option
If you are concerned that public cloud could be too slack in its security while private cloud might be overly expensive, you could find a comfortable compromise in the form of hybrid cloud.
This type of cloud is so-called as it combines facets from public and private clouds to let users tap into the benefits of both. It would be your decision which of your data goes into which component of a hybrid cloud – and you could transfer that data between the two as you see fit.
The public component, for example, can store casual email correspondence while the private aspect can take care of more sensitive data like financial numbers. HPE can further advise while helping your company to smoothly transition to a hybrid cloud.