For reasons that mystify us, all too many vendors try to make cloud computing some sort of mysterious puzzle. The main difference between a cloud and a data center is that a cloud is an off-premise form of computing that stores data on the Internet, whereas a data center refers to on-premise hardware that stores data within an organization's local network. While cloud services are outsourced to third-party cloud providers who perform all updates and ongoing maintenance, data centers are typically run by a professional Managed Services (MSP) Provider like Lehigh Valley Technology Company.
One of the most common questions we received from new potential clients is, do we need a cloud or a data center. The answer is not cut and dry and there a lot of factors to consider before we make a formal recommendation using our expertise and extensive training. This is why we ask a lot of questions of the potential new client before arriving at a recommendation.
A word of caution. Many ISP’s and IT vendors will claim to have their own Cloud. The truth is that they are almost always “white-labeling” a large Cloud company’s (i.e. IBM, Amazon Web Service, Google, etc.) actual service. This is not a bad thing per se, but, the provider should be transparent, especially if there are any compliance (i.e. HIPAA, FERPA, SOX, etc.) requirements.
So before you fly through the clouds, please make sure to do plenty of due diligence and as always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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