Cloud or On Premise - Which is Best for You?

Many of our customers ask us the classic question ‘’which is better – a cloud or on premises deployment?’’. Realistically, the question they should be asking is ‘’which is better for us?’’

First of all, when choosing a solution the onus should always be on functionality. If the tools you end up using aren’t fit for purpose then the type of deployment, or where your budgeting system sits will be irrelevant. Make a checklist of your functional requirements and choose the solution that fits this criteria. Only then should you attempt to answer which deployment is best, and the questions don’t stop there!

Because to know your optimal solution, we must first answer several questions that will prove crucial in your ultimate decision.

What size is your organisation? What are your IT infrastructure security requirements? What are your strategic requirements? What is your budget?’ These are just a few of the considerations that need to be addressed before any project moves forward.

For instance, many established financial institutions could benefit from the storage and scalability of a cloud solution but due to the critical nature and sensitivity of their data they don’t want a third party cloud vendor running their security systems. Conversely, many new startups see cloud as an ideal solution as they can get up and running quickly, and avoid prohibitive up front IT costs. Furthermore, if that start up grows into a large organisation they may want to revert to an on premises solution if they feel they are outgrowing their ‘pay as you go’ model. As you can see, the ideal deployment takes into account factors such as industry, stage of maturity and overall strategy.

And if you do choose cloud, what model should you choose? Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) or Software as a Service (SaaS)? And do you want a private, public or hybrid cloud deployment? Thankfully the answer to this doesn’t need to be set in stone, as IBM Planning Analytics customers can start on-premises, move to a hybrid cloud option or to a private cloud, or back and forth among the multiple deployment options.

While every IT department wants maximum efficiency and every finance department wants more accurate and efficient budgeting, there are different ways to achieve this. It is also important to mention that whatever route you take, you don’t have to throw out Excel.

Many CIO’s roles are based on setting and executing their organisations cloud strategy, while other CIO’s know that an on premise deployment makes more sense and decide not to have cloud strategy. Both can be correct. Which is correct for you?

Contact InfoCat today for a consultation with one of our experts, and find out if cloud is right for you.