Five key considerations before going “all-in” on Cloud Computing

4 minute read

Let’s talk about Cloud Computing

When cloud computing began to take over the IT industry in 2006, many organisations eagerly jumped in with both feet. But as the range of options for cloud deployments continues to grow, many enterprises are beginning to question whether an entire cloud migration even makes sense. Enter the hybrid cloud. Though many organisations are moving their entire computing infrastructure to public cloud providers, plenty of others are finding advantages to keeping certain workloads and data in-house. Whether this be for regulation or privacy requirements, performance and cost improvements, security concerns, legacy systems, or to avoid vendor lock-in, the rationales are countless. So before implementing a costly and complicated cloud migration, consider the major disadvantages to complete cloud deployment:

72% of companies are “hybrid-first’…

Hybrid cloud refers to a mixed computing, storage, and services environment made up of on-premises infrastructure, private cloud services, and a public cloud. The primary benefit of a hybrid cloud is agility; this need to adapt and change direction quickly is a core principle of most digital businesses. Your enterprise might want – or need – to combine public clouds, private clouds, and on-premises resources to gain the agility it requires to garner a competitive advantage.

Nearly three out of four respondents in a recent Everest Group survey of 200 enterprises said they have a hybrid-first or private-first cloud strategy. Furthermore, the Flexera 2022 State of the Cloud Report of 753 global cloud decision makers found that 79% of respondents chose hybrid cloud as their preferred approach. It’s clear that although cloud adoption is a seminal trend, companies continue to evaluate multiple models and are getting comfortable with a hybrid-cloud format. So why exactly should companies be wary of completely “serverless” computing?

Five drawbacks of going “All-In”.

#1: Vulnerable to attack

Routinely cited as the leading reason for leaving the public cloud, security is a serious matter for successful organisations in 2023. Though public cloud providers do offer extensive security measures, many of them make it difficult to actually use those defenses. Furthermore, recall that the very nature of cloud infrastructure is so data can be accessed at any time and from anywhere; as exposed data travels on the open internet it becomes vulnerable to theft or infection by malware. Lastly, understand that cloud providers manage data for many clients within the same cloud environment. This practice increases the likelihood of the wrong people being granted access to what is supposed to be secure data.

#2: Limited Control

Since cloud infrastructure is entirely owned, managed, and monitored by the service provider, it transfers minimal control over to the client. Cloud users may find they have less control over the function and execution of services within a cloud-hosted infrastructure. For instance, customers may retain control of their applications, data, and services, but not have the same level of control over their backend infrastructure. Be sure to understand your cloud provider’s basic level of support in great detail; be aware of the SLA concerning the infrastructure and services you’re going to use and how that will impact your agreements with your customers.

#3: Vendor Lock-In

Contracts for cloud storage are rather inflexible by nature. Especially for large organisations with tons of data, migrating everything into the cloud, configuring the system, and ensuring compliance can take years. Therefore, one needs to be sure to thoroughly vet potential cloud providers on everything from SLAs and hidden fees to data security and privacy. Lastly, be aware that if you do become unhappy with your cloud service provider midway through the contract, 1) you’ll likely still be on the hook for the remaining subscription fees and 2) switching providers will be a logistical nightmare.

#4: Possible Downtime

Downtime is often cited as one of the cloud’s greatest disadvantages. Because cloud computing makes your business fully-dependent on the reliability of your internet connection, service outages are always an unfortunate possibility. Such internet failure can lead to catastrophic downtime for businesses that heavily rely on cloud computing. Take for example the 2017 outage on Amazon Web Services that cost publicly traded companies up to $150 million dollars! If your internet suffers from frequent outages or slow speeds, be sure to ask yourself if your business can survive – or simply afford – the impact of a prolonged outage or slowdown.

#5: Limited Customisation and Differentiation

Customisation and differentiation are severely limited when it comes to cloud-hosted infrastructure. And even if you find a cloud provider willing to customise their cloud-based software to suit your business’s specific needs, be aware it’s going to cost you a pretty penny. On-premise systems are much easier to configure, customise, and modify. Organisations within highly competitive industries – where it’s paramount to be able to customise specific needs and requirements – should be fully cognisant of this limitation.

The best of both worlds: Hybrid Cloud

It’s easy to see why one would assume anything IT-related is being absorbed by the cloud. But that just isn’t the case! Whether it be a highly-ingrained legacy system, a strict regulatory compliance stipulation, or a tier-one application requiring high-performance, there simply are some applications and systems that aren’t a good fit for the cloud. It’s evident that with the right mix of cloud-based hosting and on-premise infrastructure, organisations are discovering how they can improve security, reduce costs, boost flexibility, and even gain a competitive advantage in their computing environment.

If you’re looking to save money on the support of your on-premises hybrid infrastructure Support 24/7 can help. Contact us here.