Think Ahead: How to Pick a Cloud Solution for Your Clients

Understanding the difference between public and private cloud systems can help you choose the right solution for each of your clients.

The cloud is here to stay. It is accessible. It is manageable. It is changing the way that we work… quite literally.

Many companies have already implemented cloud storage into their business models, and those that have not are quickly learning that the cloud is the future of storage and functionality for their needs.

A large amount of videoconferencing service providers are utilizing cloud systems in order to provide sufficient service to their customers. Most content management solutions require cloud storage to allow several users in different locations to work on the same project simultaneously.

Even if it’s not for collaboration, the cloud is being used to store company files, freeing up space in the network and allowing accessibility from different locations.

“In terms of sharing and processing data with our customers, everybody is moving over to the cloud,” says Marc LaVecchia, Owner of BMA Software Solutions, Inc. “[Our customers] are all moving in this direction right now, and pretty fearlessly I might add. It’s become the norm for us at this point.”

Learn more about the cloud and other networking solutions here.

When it comes to your customers, the question is not whether or not they need the cloud. If your clients work with outside vendors or customers, have files to be stored or shared, or want to streamline their processes, then you should work to integrate a cloud system as part of your services. The question is, what cloud system do your clients need?

In a public cloud system, a third party service provider holds the hardware and infrastructure. Your clients, or you, subscribe to the services and pay a monthly fee in order to utilize the system. Information and documents are kept within their network, freeing up hardware space, physically and digitally, within a clients’ own office.

“The big change is the public server, where other companies are managing the hardware and managing the servers. You’re just purchasing server space and processing power,” says Ken Danner, Senior Software Engineer at Control Concepts. “They essentially have an infinite supply of space and processing power and you just buy what you need when you need and scale back when you don’t need it.”

The private cloud works the same way as the public cloud, in that it allows for content to be stored and shared wirelessly throughout the system. The difference here is that, in a sense, each company becomes its own service provider. You provide the hardware and infrastructure, but once the system is put into place, the client holds the keys.

“The benefit on the private side is that you’re handling everything yourself,” says Mike Maniscalco, co-founder of ihiji. “That can add in security. You have control over every configuration throughout the entire system. So you can bring more security to the picture by doing that.”

But is there a hybrid solution? Can cloud services be both public and private? And how do you figure out which solution is right for your clients? Read this end-user focused article on Commercial Integrator sister site Corporate Tech Decisions to learn more.

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!