| August 12, 2020

Is Your Head in the Cloud(s)? Choosing Between Private Cloud or on-Premises for Deploying Enterprise Meetings Solutions

The decision about whether to deploy on a private cloud or on-premise storage is important — choosing the wrong enterprise deployment can have a dramatic impact on your entire business. Getting it right for your company starts with knowing the basic strengths and weaknesses of each option, and how they’d fit or not within the goals of the organization. You need to become familiar with the difference between private cloud and on-premise storage right now.

What is private cloud storage?

Cloud storage relies on external servers to store data, connect employees, and generally keep all manner of business operations flowing smoothly. These servers are managed by a third–party company which assumes the responsibility of maintaining service, installing new updates and software, and troubleshooting. The private cloud is popular for several clear reasons.

Advantages of a private cloud for enterprise meetings and chat solutions

Reduces IT responsibility. The cloud frees up a company’s IT staff by placing the burden of managing the data storage on the third party hired to do so. This allows employees to prioritize other work and avoid admin headaches entirely.
It’s cost-effective. Companies are able to save money by not having to buy, install and maintain expensive equipment to house all the data. The cloud also gives companies added budget flexibility by offering plan options to fit their storage needs. That way you only pay for what you need and are not locked into a payment system that doesn’t make sense.

It’s scalable. Cloud-based storage is built to scale, meaning companies can easily upgrade how much storage they use based on their needs. This gives fast–growing businesses the ability to quickly scale up (automatically) to handle increased usage and velocity.
Regular data backups. The cloud does data backups quickly, ensuring that any temporary tech issue in the office won’t endanger data that’s kept on the cloud.

What is on-premise storage?

On-premise storage boasts its own set of distinct capabilities. On-premise utilizes physical infrastructure that stores and manages data at the company’s physical site, which does require investment in the installation and upkeep of the equipment, but it means that you control, literally, where your data is stored.

You will need dedicated admin staff to operate the equipment and fix it when something goes wrong, or you could create a future with a dozen employees packed inside the server room tugging randomly on wires and staring hopelessly at a user manual.

Advantages of on-premise for secure enterprise chat and meetings solutions

You control the uptime or downtime. Having on-site servers gives companies an internal network that guarantees service no matter what else is happening in the area. An interrupted internet connection could slow other companies to a standstill, a problem on-premise storage avoids.

Stronger security. Your data is not sitting in server room with a bunch of other servers in a building nowhere near your organization. Cloud storage can be more vulnerable to data breaches, whereas on-premise data is buttressed by superior security protocols. Having the servers on-site means access to them is more restricted, and if there is sensitive data being stored some companies want to control the security. Organizations and industries overseen by strict data-privacy laws or require governmental regulation often prefer an on-premises deployment.
More control over server hardware. Increased access to the servers means the ability to upgrade and modify the server hardware to better fit the company’s needs. A company with a talented and experienced IT team could use this to their advantage by simply responding themselves to any needs they have, ending any reliance on outside tech support.

Sometimes the best kind of choice is not having to choose

The decision on how to store your chat and meetings data can spark some serious debate about what to prioritize. Data security or scalability? Convenience or guaranteed service? Consistent backup of data or persistent control over the hardware? End-to-end encryption or auditability?

What if the secure enterprise meetings and persistent chat solution you wanted was available on both? Sametime from HCL can be deployed on a secure private cloud or on-premises — wherever it makes sense for the business. It’s simple to install, with a fast deployment.