By Dominic Jones

Broadly speaking, there are two routes companies can take if the much debated cloud can’t cater to their needs and ambitions. The first is the traditional option of an in-house server, which still appeals to many business owners. Having the entire infrastructure housed in bricks and mortar has its advantages. For example, hiding the server in a locked room at the bottom of the corridor, where you can control who accesses it, puts many security worries to rest.

Keeping servers in house also allows you to install the software you need, whenever you want to. The independence that comes with making your own decisions about what to install next, and actually implementing that decision with no resistance, is a clear selling point for many business owners. In addition, easy access to the company’s information is a definite plus. With an in house server, every user can still access all their information directly, even in when your Internet connection is unavailable.

In terms of value for money, the in-house solution is a sound investment as there are no ongoing costs after the initial capital expenditure involved in buying the server. Just make a one-off payment to the hardware supplier and you are ready to go.

`In a nutshell, all the disadvantages incurred in normal cloud computing can be avoided by using an in-house solution. But what if there was a way we could have the best of both worlds? The private cloud offers just that; an opportunity to marry the flexibility of an in-house server with the hassle-free benefits of the cloud.

This hybrid option allows the user to have their own equipment, but to conveniently store it at the cloud provider’s data centre. The main advantage is that the user doesn’t have to share the hardware with any other external businesses, thus alleviating the threat of security breaches from other companies.

Furthermore, private cloud users can benefit from the safety features offered by a data centre in the same way as regular cloud users. These might include redundant power, fire damage prevention and CCTV, all of which make sure your business doesn’t stop in the event of a power cut or attempted break in.

The main drawback of the private cloud is the price tag. Because it’s a bespoke service, where you have your own server, the costs are not divided between multiple users as with traditional cloud computing. A private cloud does still offer all of the same access advantages for home workers and multiple site companies though.

The key to making the best choice for your organisation depends on getting the right advice before deciding in favour of, or against, migrating to the cloud. Whether you opt for having the server at your fingertips or hosting it remotely, researching the features and benefits is essential. For those who think that a custom made solution, tailored to their needs is the best option, the private cloud might prove a viable answer.

Special offer to NMK members

As a conclusion to this series of articles, Barton Technology is offering every reader of New Media Knowledge a free of charge consultation during which it will analyse your existing IT system and provide recommendations to help you achieve your objective. This might involve cloud computing, in-house servers or a mixture of the two; say VoIP as a business telephone solution with data staying on the ground. It could even be that your needs aren’t server focussed at all, but in fact centre on online back-up, network cabling, business broadband or anyone of a host of other SME IT issues. Just e-mail Dominic Jones on dominicj@barttech.co.uk to take advantage of the offer.

About the author and the company

Dominic Jones is managing director of IT support firm Barton Technology. Established in April 2000, Barton Technology is a privately owned company with a proven approach which is quality driven, thorough and extraordinarily successful. From their headquarters in South London, they specialise in providing IT Support and Business Telephone services to customers in the Construction, Not for Profit, Retail, Finance, Legal and Insurance SME sectors and who are located in London, Surrey and Kent.

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