Cloud Hosting

Data center and Cloud are two different types of servers with their own pros and cons.

Basically, cloud data services offer the remote version of a data center; they are usually located far away from your companys location and provide access to data via the internet.

With cloud data services, you do not have to worry about performing ongoing maintenances (software and hardware), thereby reducing data cost.

A data center is typically located close to a companys physical location, and data is mainly accessed via a local area network (in place of the internet when compared to the Cloud). Data centers are generally more expensive, but they tend to be more reliable.

On the other hand, the Cloud is usually cheaper, but it may be less reliable- especially if youre not using a reputable provider.

If youre thinking about moving your business to either one, its essential to understand the differences between both so you can make an informed decision and know what to expect from each option.

This blog post will explore these differences in detail so you can decide which type of server is best for your needs.

Data centers are physical locations that house servers. Theres typically a data center for each company or organization hosting data, but some companies share to save on costs.

Data Centers often have technical staff available 24 hours per day and can respond quickly if there is an issue with your server, such as a virus infection (although this type of assistance usually comes at an additional cost).

Startups may choose to create their own private data center to avoid paying fees and customize it how they want- from backup power sources all the way down to hardware specifications.

However, doing so means youll need more capital upfront versus renting space within another providers data center (i.e., Amazon Web Services), which will likely offer better pricing in the long term.

There are three traditional types of data centers:

Public data centers, like those operated by Amazon Web Services (AWS), offer lower pricing.

Still, its not as customizable, and you may not be able to control the physical location of your server, which can result in slow network connectivity from other servers nearby.

On the flip side, private data center providers have more flexibility on where your server is located, which means faster connections with others doing business within a similar geographic area.

A hybrid hosting solution will give you both options without having to make an upfront investment into building out a private data center versus renting space for their use elsewhere.

In contrast, cloud hosting is a great option when you dont need to host data for very long periods or access data from anywhere other than where the cloud provider allows you to.

Cloud hosting is a service that allows users to store data on servers that are remotely located and access it from any device connected to the internet. If youre looking for an easy way of storing data, Cloud hosting may be just what you need.

The cloud hosting service provides offsite data storage for the user, which means that they dont need to worry about maintaining their backup.

Cloud hosting comes with many benefits and some drawbacks as well. One such benefit is that it offers a high level of security because all data resides on remote servers rather than being stored locally on your computer or laptop.

Cloud hosting providers offer their clients reliable services at reasonable rates, making them highly sought after among those looking for quality storage solutions on the web.

However, not every provider offers high levels of security, so you need to choose wisely before hopping into any deal without doing some research first.

There are three types of cloud computing: public, private, and hybrid.

Public Cloud: this type of data center is available to anyone who has access to the internet.

Private Cloud: this type can be accessed only by a specific company or organization with an agreement that governs how it will be used and administered.

Hybrid Cloud: This means that there are both public and private components to provide cost-effective services for all types of customers.

Now, lets take a look at the Pros and Cons of these two hosting options.

To help you get started, here is a cloud hosting selection offering optimal sets of server resources, while providing the best services in terms of performance, features, and pricing.

You can check them out below:

https://webhostingadvices.com/cloud-server-free-trial-no-credit-card/

A data center is an on-site physical location that houses the hardware needed to store, access, and process data.

Cloud hosting services are a form of cloud computing where servers arent housed in one centralized data center but instead spread across multiple locations.

This means you need to decide in advance what your needs are. If you want to store more data than one provider, you will need to migrate to another provider.

Other advantages include having direct control over software updates or installations and having users share processing power when theres not enough demand for all equipment (i.e. during off-hours).

The Cloud also offers scalability making adjusting capacity easier without any downtime if necessary while at the same time being more cost-effective.

Cloud hosting providers can go out of business or decide to close their doors on short notice for any number of reasons and while some allow you to export data from these services, there is no guarantee that the provider will give you enough warning should something happen before they do so themselves.

That means an emergency downtime situation could leave companies with little recourse when trying to get everything back up and running as quickly as possible without incurring hefty consulting fees on top of hardware costs due to lost data.

This isnt true for Datacenters as most times, the hardware and software are managed by the company or companies utilizing them instead of an external entity.

Cloud computing is a cost-effective alternative to on-premise data centers.

Cost savings can be obtained by using the public cloud with a pay-for-what-you-use model and avoiding capital expenditure (CAPEX) in building your own data center infrastructure, including servers, storage devices, cooling systems, etc.

However, this could mean that some companies cannot adapt their business models as they need physical access to equipment, such as when performing maintenance or upgrades, mainly if these changes occur at an inconvenient time of day.

The cost of cloud computing varies depending on the workloads and requirements.

For example, a small business may find that the monthly costs for getting access to data center space are too high compared to what they need.

They would be better off using cloud services instead, where some providers offer plans as low as $100 per month for up to 100GB of storage.

Cloud Computing prices also depend on whether you are purchasing resources in bulk or paying hourly rates; it can range from $0.05-$0.30/hour when looking at the Amazon Web Services pricing model (AWS).

Costs for data centers vary depending on size and location. A typical data center can cost upwards of $850,000 per year in electricity alone, not to mention the operation costs like HVAC equipment repairs or replacement and repairs when there is a power outage.

The more sophisticated your data center needs are, the higher that price will go up since youll deal with more significant issues than if it was just an office space environment.

One way that companies have been able to keep their expenses down has been through colocation space where they lease a portion of server storage from another companys facility, which can range anywhere between $0-$150/month based on what type of business youre running and the size of the data center you need.

Suppose youre going to be hosting your website on a cloud server. In that case, they will typically charge approximately $700-$800 per month for an enterprise-level account which offers more storage and bandwidth than whats available in their basic package; however, other providers offer cheaper packages at around $100/month, so it all depends on how much space and traffic your site needs before deciding which one is right for you.

To keep in mind with cloud hosting, some companies require contracts of 12 or even 18 months while others only require agreements of between 30-90 days.

If you dont want any contract obligations whatsoever, then colocation might be best suited for businesses that need more room to grow.

Cloud hosting providers typically charge their customers monthly based on the amount of storage and bandwidth they need.

Generally, enterprise-level accounts cost around $700-$800 per month; however, other providers offer cheaper packages at about $100/month, so it all depends on how much space and traffic your site needs before deciding which one is right for you.

Data centers typically have a lot of security in place that makes them more secure than cloud hosting.

This is because data center providers often are not only dealing with the data from one customer but can be storing data for hundreds or even thousands of other clients all at once, which means they take their job to keep this information safe very seriously.

Some examples of how Data Center protects your information include 24 hour surveillance, a clean room environment, and biometrics access control locks on most doors.

Cloud servers are usually accessed by way of an internet connection, so while these companies do offer some level of protection, there is also the risk that hackers could break through and affect multiple customers accounts simultaneously (making them much easier targets).

However, if you are looking for a more affordable option, cloud hosting might be the way to go.

Read Next: Investment on Data Centers to rise in the next 3 to 5 years 2021 Data Center Industry Survey

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Choosing the right server for your needs: Data Center vs. Cloud - Daily Host News

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As the world is becoming more digital-savvy when it comes to their business needs and requirements, there is an increased number of organisations opting to move their business data assets to virtual cloud storage options.

Organisations that have a lot of data to store and require that information be reached easily are moving away from physical storage devices that you can see and feel and edging closer to virtual cloud storage, migrating their existing business data to a cloud storage service.

Cloud storage is, in most cases, a subscription-based virtual storage space that can house data via remote servers (ones that you cannot see), which have the capability to allow access to the data straight from the internet.

Data that is uploaded to the Cloud can also be maintained, updated, and backed up remotely, which can save a lot of person-hours for businesses that use such a service to store their data.

Organisations and businesses that choose to use cloud storage for their data have the maintenance and retrieval of all data at their fingertips via the internet.

This factor then negates the need to have physical servers or carry around external hard drives and memory sticks to be able to transfer data from one place to another.

There are many reasons that transferring company data to cloud storage is becoming so popular, and one of the most significant advantages is accessibility.Cloud computing consultingaround the migration of business data is on the rise, and rightly so.

Having data on the Cloud actually means that you have the ability to access, upload and download any information to or from the Cloud at any time, without the need for a desktop or a laptop computer. All you will need to be able to use the Cloud for accessibility is a device that will support the connecting app, which can then link everything together to give you everything you need to have access to.

So, lets have a quick look at the top 5 reasons you should be considering migrating all of your business data assets to the Cloud for storage.

1. Allows the capability to work remotely

The Covid 19 pandemic acutely highlighted that remote working was incredibly under-utilised and somewhat unprepared. When people in an organisation are inherently used to travelling to work each day, sitting at a station in an office environment to work for 8 hours and then go home, then all of a sudden that couldnt happen.

Businesses had to make decisions as to how their workers could continue to work and allow the company to operate, and this is where remote working became one of the most significant changes in business within the last decade.

Remote working is such a solid element to come from the pandemic and may well have set a precedent in those sectors where there may not be a 100% need to be physically present in an office to conduct duties.

The Cloud fully supports this way of working. It allows anyone with authorisation to access any company data from the Cloud and work as if they are in the office, with just as much efficiency, but remotely and virtually.

This element of remote working can also positively impact a few other things, such as increased working flexibility, lowering levels of pollution, and reducing the amount of commuting needed to work.

2. Data is always up to date

Another powerful benefit of migrating tour companies data assets to a Cloud storage system is that it becomes far removed from the constant need to monitor and manage the ever-increasing barrage of security threats to your data.

Your Cloud hosting provider will incorporate real-time monitoring and management within a cloud storage package, so the business can progress with the actual company rather than worry about data breaches.

3. Enhanced safety

The safety of your companies data assets has to be one of the most important factors to consider when migrating your businesss most crucial information.

As part of the cloud way of operating, any data that is backed to the Cloud is automatically encrypted. This is pertinent to know as only people who access the information can access the data stored on the Cloud.

Cloud hosting will also continually monitor and update its security features, which means for you is that your company data is always as secure as possible, whether you employ an IT team or not.

4. Adaptability in scalability

Say, for instance, as a small family business, you experience exponential growth and demand running up to Christmas, for example, and you had to make some rapid decisions in getting more staff and more sources to satisfy the demand for your products and services.

Cloud storage would definitely help you scale your business to fit demand on a temporary or permanent basis, as the cloud storage options generally allow you to amend subscriptions in line with business demand, making your business growth zones more agile in their movement.

When you analyse the business data, you already hold, and the business outlook states there is going to be growth in Q4 of every year, then cloud storage will allow you to scale in line with predicted growth, keeping one step ahead all the time in an instant, and without any hardware outlay for an extra demand.

5. Cost efficiency

Businesses are called businesses simply because they are in the market for making money!

When a cost-effective solution appears that will save a business money hand over fist, not only in paid workforce hours but in hardware costs and maintenance, it has to be one of the most significant advantages to migrating your data assets onto the cloud storage.

Yes, you are likely to have a subscription that is classed as an outlay for the use of the service, but this cost can easily be offset by reduced manpower hours, reduced physical hardware costs, and reduced maintenance of said hardwareand that is just the start!

All in all, moving your companies data to a cloud-based hosting service has so many advantages that can actually boost a business, as shown in the benefits above.

Cloud storage for your business data assets can facilitate remote working, which may become more of an everyday occurrence now it has been used during a global disaster; it is cost-effective to the point of not having to maintain security or maintain physical equipment constantly.

Most of all, it is increasingly safe to use as a legitimate option that is scalable to the point of making your business incredibly agile in the face of expected and predicted growth and business seasonality.

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Five benefits of migrating your business' data to the Cloud - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com - London Loves Business

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Thiago Martins, managing director, Industry X & manufacturing execution systems lead at Accenture, explores how cloud computing has become indispensable to the manufacturing sector

Many cloud use cases have emerged within the manufacturing space.

Most manufacturers are familiar with terms like smart plant, plant of the future, or digital factory. But regardless of the term used, it implies a manufacturing environment where digital technology enables more productivity, efficiency, safety, and compliance. Unfortunately, it also implies an environment that seems far away from the current state of most manufacturers. Why? Because historically, manufacturing IT projects have proven to be long, costly, and in many cases risky especially if they required remote hosting of manufacturing applications.

However, digital adoption has accelerated in the past few years, mainly driven by three factors:

As network and cloud services evolve, manufacturers have access to a whole new set of infrastructure options that they can use to improve the way they support shopfloor operations. These options include edge computing to address near real-time use-cases; private cloud, typically necessary for compliance reasons; and public cloud, which gives them access to scale, innovation capabilities, and flexibility. This is what we call the Cloud Continuum a new model, in which centralised and distributed computing resources are combined to ensure new IT and business efficiencies.

The IT efficiencies associated with cloud are well known. For example, when properly designed, flexible pay-by-the-use computing capacity can lead to 20%-40% cost reduction when compared to traditional on-site underutilised on-premise infrastructure. Cloud also gives access to capabilities of leading service providers such as AWS, Azure, Google, Oracle, and others to keep the infrastructure up and running, as opposed to relying on outdated software or vulnerable legacy infrastructures. By properly utilising the cloud, organisations can reduce IT labour and operating costs.

Darren Van Booven, lead principal consultant at Trustwave and former CISO of the United States House of Representatives, provides six steps for manufacturers towards effectively protecting themselves against ransomware. Read here

From the business efficiencies perspective, manufacturers can unlock value by using components such as:

The question remains: If the cloud brings so many benefits, why are there manufacturers still hesitant to using cloud-based solutions on the shopfloor?

From an infrastructure perspective, the risks associated with remote hosting manufacturing applications, such as performance, availability and security, are well known by most manufacturers, but ways of mitigating them, are not. New solutions like 5G and multi-access edge computing which add a layer of security were not available, known, or affordable at many manufacturing locations until recently.

From a software perspective, until a few years ago, the value of cloud for manufacturers was very limited. Cloud used to be seen as a virtual data centre to which moving manufacturing applications did not represent a compelling business case, as the costs did not outweigh the risks. However, as software vendors introduce new cloud-based products, weve witnessed a dramatic change in embrace. The adoption of cloud-based solutions has become more attractive, especially to those seeking innovative ways to solve problems that otherwise would have been considered too expensive or too complex to solve based on traditional on-premise models.

This article will explore how organisations can avoid cloud vendor lock-in and take advantage of multi-vendor sourcing options. Read here

Advancements in infrastructure, combined with the exponential growth of software offerings in the cloud, has accelerated the digitisation of the supply chains, allowing companies to operate and interact with each other in a more transparent and automated way. Companies are quickly expanding their operational intelligence, moving from single assets descriptive analytics where manufacturers are informed of what has happened; to prescriptive analytics where manufacturers are informed of options to respond to whats about to happen; across multiple lines, factories, all the way to critical elements of their supply chain.

The exponential value creation cycle enabled by the Cloud Continuum does not depend on IT only. It requires organisations to have a well-defined vision, an adequate operating model, and a properly designed set of technology adoption principles. The adoption of cloud solutions without these three components usually leads to difficulty scaling and sustaining the intended benefits.

In summary, cloud adoption in manufacturing went from a concept deemed impossible, or at least not economically viable, to an indispensable way to enable companies to compete in a digital world. Understandably, too many things are new in this space, and the race to increase companies productivity, efficiency, safety, and compliance does not give manufacturers much time to learn from their own experiences.

Written by Thiago Martins, managing director, Industry X & manufacturing execution systems lead at Accenture

Read more from the original source:
Cloud computing in manufacturing: from impossible to indispensable - Information Age

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