What are private cloud computing services?
Cloud computing has revolutionised the IT industry, transforming the way businesses access and utilise a growing number of resources. But with various deployment models such as public, private, and hybrid, there’s no doubt the cloud landscape is incredibly multi-layered and complex. As such, how can organisations be sure the investments they’re making are truly best-fit for their needs, now and in the future?
James Robinson, technical operations director at Fusion IT Management, delves deeper into one of the market’s most pioneering solutions, its benefits for SMEs, and the role of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in supporting firms with their private cloud needs…
Public versus private cloud infrastructure
Public cloud services are offered and managed by third-party providers over the internet, allowing multiple customers to share computing resources in a multi-tenant environment.
Private cloud (also known as an internal cloud or corporate cloud) infrastructure conversely involves dedicated hardware and software resources that are solely used by a single organisation or tenant. The private cloud offers enhanced security, control, and customisation compared to public clouds, and can be deployed either on-premises within an organisation’s data centre or hosted by a cloud service provider, in what is known as a virtual private cloud (VPC).
What is an example of private cloud?
To illustrate the concept of private cloud, let’s consider how and why ‘LegalCo’ — a hypothetical legal firm — might adopt such a solution:
To ensure ultimate security and confidentiality of their clients’ sensitive data, they implement LegalCo’s SecureCloud, a private cloud solution hosted within their own premises’ data centre. With their own dedicated servers and robust encryption measures, all client files, legal documents, and case records remain safeguarded.
This on-premises private cloud — located in a data centre — empowers LegalCo with complete control over their data, while adhering to strict regulatory compliance requirements. Enhancing operational efficiency by enabling quick access to resources on-demand, SecureCloud also reinforces the firm’s reputation and credibility within the sector, and empowers greater levels of productivity internally too.
It is worth noting that there is also the concept of the VPC, whereby a section of the public cloud infrastructure is logically isolated for a specific customer, in this case LegalCo.
Some of the tech space’s most popular private cloud services also include the likes of Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, in which specific amounts of compute, bandwidth, storage and backup can be purchased and dedicated to a particular client only, such as LegalCo.
Benefits of private cloud for SMEs
For organisations large and small, almost irrespective of sector, private cloud computing offers numerous advantages:
Enhanced security: Private clouds are ideal for organisations handling sensitive data or complying with regulatory requirements. The dedicated nature of the infrastructure ensures that data remains isolated from other tenants, reducing the risk of unauthorised access.
Customisation and control: SMEs have complete control over the private cloud environment, enabling them to tailor resources, security measures, and network configurations to meet specific business needs.
Predictable performance: Private clouds offer consistent performance, since computing resources are not shared with other organisations. This ensures reliable and predictable application performance, critical for business operations.
Scalability: Private clouds can be scaled vertically and horizontally to accommodate the changing demands of SMEs, providing the flexibility needed for sustainable business growth.
Compliance and data residency: Some industries have strict regulatory compliance requirements, and private clouds can ensure data residency and compliance by keeping data within specific geographical boundaries.
How Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can assist
MSPs, like Fusion, play a crucial role in helping organisations adopt and maintain private cloud environments. They can reduce the headache of implementation by consolidating the supply chain and offering comprehensive end-to-end solutions — handling the entire process, from design and deployment to ongoing management, monitoring, and support. By leveraging their expertise, SMEs can focus on their core business while relying on the MSP to manage the complex private cloud infrastructure efficiently. Plus, with the option to add-on storage, security, and monitoring capabilities, firms can enhance and customise their cloud environment according to their specific needs
Making hosting reliable, efficient, productive, and high-performing, our very own private cloud infrastructure, fusionCloud, remains a leading force among some of the UK’s most ambitious organisations.
Keen to unlock its potential too? Get in touch, and let’s continue the conversation.
