Cloud Vs On-Premise—What’s the Best Storage Solution For Your Business?

Data is king! At least, that’s the case when it comes to modern-day business. And with the 64.2 zettabytes of data in the world (yep, you read that right—that’s hundreds of trillions of bytes), we’ve got to have someplace to keep store it all securely.

Even as a small business, you’re still generating huge amounts of data. From employee records to customer details, you need reliable and simple storage that can keep up with you. In the tech world right now, we have two popular options: cloud storage and on-premise storage. Which one is better for your business needs? Let’s find out!

What’s the Difference Between the Two? Is One a Better Choice?

The original data storage solution, on-premise servers are a tried-and-true approach to data storage. By housing your servers in your own building, you have complete control over the data and how it’s managed.

But there are downsides to on-premise servers, too. They can be quite costly—you need to invest in hardware and software upfront, as well as pay for maintenance and support. Plus, if your company grows quickly, you may need to upgrade or expand your server infrastructure more often than you’d like.

And don’t forget disaster recovery—if you only store one copy of your data in a physical location, you’re in big trouble if something were to happen to it.

And then there’s the cloud, which took the world by storm (no pun intended)! Cloud storage is a much newer technology, but it’s quickly become popular due to its lower costs and convenience. Large organizations are leading the charge with about 94% of them using cloud storage. But small and mid-sized businesses aren’t too far behind; by the end of 2022, 62% of SMB data will be stored on the cloud.

Essentially, the cloud is a network of servers located in various remote locations. Cloud storage allows users to save data and media files on third-party servers.  From greater accessibility to data backup, cloud storage boosts a lot of benefits. Most noteworthy for business owners is the minimal costs – making it much more affordable than on-premise storage. 

So what’s the catch? Although the cloud helps your employees be more productive and helps with your disaster recovery, it can be a bit of a process to get there. You have to move or “migrate” all of your information to the cloud and then you’ve got to get used to using it. But if you partner with a managed service provider for your migration and adoption, you’d have a much easier time with the transition.

6 Questions to Help You Decide on Cloud Storage or On-Premise

1. How big is your business, and how quickly do you anticipate growth in the future? If you think you’re going to add lots of employees or need a good way to store large amounts of client data, cloud storage is the way to go.
2. What’s your budget for data storage? Do you have a preference for upfront costs or ongoing usage fees? If you’re a start-up or don’t have much to give to storage, the cloud is your best choice. You can get basic cloud packages for as little as a few dollars a month, whereas on-premise is going to cost more up-front.
3. How important are downtime and data loss to your business operations? Nobody likes downtime but some businesses can handle more than others. If downtime is a big concern, a hybrid model is your best bet. That means you’ve got a few on-premise servers and a smaller cloud package, distributing your data across methods.
4. Are there geographic restrictions on your data? For example, you might have customer records that require handling sensitive information. For very sensitive information, on-premise servers that are only accessible to certain people would be better than the cloud.
5. How do you currently store and manage your data? Would it be more convenient to transfer this responsibility to a cloud service provider? If you feel overwhelmed by your tech, giving the management to a cloud management service is a much better option.
6. Do you have remote employees that need to quickly access data from anywhere? If yes, then the cloud is a must for your business!

Simplify Your Data Storage With Nexus IT

While every business needs a secure data storage solution that’s created just for them, the cloud can play a huge part in boosting your productivity and helping you serve your customers better. The internet has changed everyone’s lives by giving us so much information right at our fingertips, so why not use it to your advantage?

Have your data at the touch of a button to save you time and money with Nexus IT. Our expert team can migrate your data to the cloud, set up and manage your storage systems, and provide 24/7 support when you need it most. So whether you’re a start-up or an established business, let us help you make the transition as smooth as possible! Schedule a consultation so we can figure out exactly what kind of storage solution you need.