Summary 

The word “cloud” is used a lot in IT. Many cloud computing companies talk about datacenter and cloud as one path. In practice, data center cloud computing is often already in place. 

Some cloud-based data centers still run much like on-site systems. For many teams, the on-site private cloud is still the main base. Evan Hildebran from the Services Team answers common cloud questions below. 

Cloud decisions depend on each company’s use cases. They also depend on IT work, staff, budget, and service needs. 

Off-site cloud can help with: 

  • Common apps 
  • Seasonal work 
  • Teams with few data center resources 

SLAs need close review. Cloud can cut some labor needs, but it is not always cheaper than keeping gear in-house. 

Off-Premises Cloud Deployment 

Q: When might a business choose to deploy an off-premises cloud—private, hybrid, or public? 

A: It depends on the case. Each company must decide how it can use off-site cloud. You need a clear use case before you build the plan. 

Once a use case is set for a customer’s site, you can build a cloud plan around it. Every case is different. You cannot build one plan for every cloud option. You must first know how the company runs its IT team. 

Service-Level Agreements 

Q: What should you watch for in your SLA? 

A: This depends on the company and its needs. It also has a big effect on price. 

Important SLA items may include cloud networking solutions, uptime, security, backup plans, and disaster recovery. 

Key items may include: 

  • Uptime 
  • Security 
  • Environment needs 
  • Backups 
  • Disaster recovery 
  • Data integrity 
  • Data snapshots 
  • Replication 
  • Response time 
  • Support levels 
  • Support hours 
  • Software updates 
  • OS updates 
  • Hardware update needs 

This list can get very long. These items are only a small part of it. Every SLA is different, and every company’s needs are different. 

Application Migration 

Q: When would you move apps to the cloud? 

A: This is hard to answer. I see cloud as a form of outsourcing. Still, it can make sense to move common apps to the cloud. 

Apps like email or Blackboard need a lot of special hardware and skilled labor. Many companies do not have that, and they cannot afford it. In those cases, it is a good idea to keep the app in the cloud. 

When a small company cannot afford a proper data center to house production gear or support the setup, it is often a good choice to put the setup in the cloud. The price can be low. It helps both the company and the IT team. 

Seasonal Workloads 

Q: What if you have seasonal workloads? 

A: Seasonal work or end-of-month work is a good fit for on-site or off-site infrastructure as a service. 

Based on the load, you can keep extra gear on site or off site and turn it on when the load spikes. Then you pay only for what you use at that time. 

This can save a company thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars over time. 

Labor Costs 

Q: Does “cloud” save on labor costs? 

A: In the long run, it may cut labor cost. But cloud is often more costly overall than keeping hardware, software, and labor in house. 

For some teams, outsourcing feels better than adding more people to the payroll. A company’s ability to hire and keep tech talent matters too. Cost of living and location can also play a big part.