In recent years, the decision between hosting applications on-premise or in the cloud has become a crucial one for agencies to deliver on their missions. Both approaches have unique advantages and disadvantages, which must be carefully weighed to make the right decision for your organization. Which is best for you? Let’s take a look at some of the considerations when choosing to host on-premise or in the cloud.
The benefits of on-premise hosting…and some drawbacks.
On-premise hosting refers to the practice of maintaining and managing your servers and applications in-house, within your organization's physical infrastructure. It can be a preferred method of hosting for when you demand complete control over your infrastructure, as it can be customized to meet your specific needs. You can configure your hardware, network, and software to ensure they work seamlessly together and are optimized for your mission or personnel’s unique requirements.
This arrangement has the potential to give you greater control over security, without exposing your data to third-party cloud hosting providers – if (and it’s a big if) you have a rigorous, knowledgeable, and around-the-clock team to maintain an advanced security posture. That’s not realistic for many federal agencies or their supporting contractors.
Another factor to consider, and one of the biggest downsides to hosting applications on-premise, is the large upfront cost. The initial investment to purchase, install, and configure the infrastructure can be significant. It’s also not as one-and-done as it might seem. With today’s rapidly advancing technological innovation, that hardware can get buggy or obsolete quickly.
On-premise hosting requires ongoing maintenance and management, including hardware updates, software patches, and security updates. This can be time-consuming and require a dedicated team to manage, adding to the overall cost of hosting. In addition, it can be difficult or costly to scale up or down, as it requires heavy investment in new hardware and software to accommodate changes in demand. This can limit your ability to respond quickly to changes in your agency’s data needs.
One of the greatest drawbacks to on-premise hosting is disaster recovery. On-premise hosting leaves government agencies vulnerable to physical attacks, natural disasters, power outages, and other events that can cause downtime or data loss. Implementing a comprehensive disaster recovery plan can be expensive and challenging, adding to the overall cost of hosting.
Why government agencies choose cloud hosting instead.
Government agencies that don’t maintain the in-house technical expertise or that are looking for more value and growth opportunities often choose to host in the cloud instead of on-premise. With cloud hosting, applications and data are stored on servers that are managed by specialist third-party providers like GovDataHosting.
Cloud hosting allows you to scale up or down quickly, depending on your agency’s needs, without having to invest in new hardware or software. This allows you to respond quickly to changes in demand, making it an ideal solution for agencies with rapidly changing requirements. Cloud hosting can also be more cost-effective than on-premise hosting, as it eliminates the need for upfront hardware and software investments. You only pay for what you use, and you can scale up or down as needed, which can help you manage costs more effectively.
One of the biggest benefits to cloud hosting for government agencies is a vigorous disaster recovery plan. Cloud hosting providers maintain backup data centers for comprehensive recovery services, failover, and replication. This can provide greater resilience and reduce the risk of downtime or data loss in the event of a disaster.
Of course, the 24-hour support that comes along with cloud hosting is also a significant advantage of cloud hosting over on-premise hosting. Whenever you have a question or an issue, a team of trained hosting experts leaps into action. Infrastructure is routinely updated and security measures are constantly tested, refined, and strengthened.
If you’re looking for the most advanced hosting solution for government data with a value-driven, bundle pricing model, turn to the team at GovDataHosting. GovDataHosting empowers federal agencies and government contractors with single-source, integrated cloud infrastructure and cloud hosting services. If you’re still not sure whether hosting on-premise or in the cloud is best for your organization, speak with a hosting specialist today.
