Just like real clouds come in many different forms: cumulus, cirrus, stratus, asperitas...

The same is also true of clouds in the IT world. In short, there are three main types of cloud storage: private, public and hybrid and in this blog post we’re giving you a short overview of each one.

Private clouds

A private cloud as the name suggests is private, in the sense that all the cloud computing resources are owned and or used exclusively by a single business. As a result of this private ownership, the private cloud can be located on that business’ own premises, within a private on-site data centre, or it can still be hosted by a third-party service provider.

Whatever the physical location of the infrastructure, the private cloud is always maintained on a private network and the hardware and software is dedicated to just one business. This has the advantage of giving businesses with private clouds greater flexibility and security than other types of cloud solution, because no one is sharing the resources meaning it can be more tightly controlled and better customised.

Public clouds

Out of all the different types of cloud-based solutions, public clouds are by far the most common method of handling cloud computing. The resources or in other words the computers and servers needed to support the cloud environment are owned and managed by a third-party cloud services provider like Microsoft of Amazon Web Services to name just two examples.

The reason public cloud solutions are so popular is because all the hardware, software and other key infrastructure needed, are owned and managed by the provider, ultimately making a cheaper cloud solution for the majority of businesses. Not only does it avoid the initial upfront costs of buying all this hardware, but it also removes any maintenance costs as well. Instead businesses can effectively pay as they go.

Hybrid clouds

Hybrid clouds are often referred to as “the best of both worlds”. Why, because hybrid clouds combine the on-premises infrastructure of private clouds with Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) benefits of public clouds. That means data, software and applications can be moved between the private and public clouds as needed.

The reasons why this is considered “the best of both worlds” is mainly because hybrid cloud solutions have excellent agility. Businesses using this type of cloud solution are able to adapt and change as needed, whether that’s due to growth, finances or any other business critical factor. On top of that, it is also secure, controllable and customisable, so it can mould perfectly to suit business needs, requirements and even legalities.

If you’re thinking about moving to a cloud-based infrastructure then it’s important to choose the right type of cloud computing for your business. If it’s something you’d like to explore, talk to our experts today and we’ll find the right cloud solution for you.