Major technology vendors, including Microsoft and Oracle, have stepped up their efforts in recent weeks to emphasize the benefits of storing data and running applications, platforms, and infrastructure in the cloud -- whether public or private. But many IT leaders that I speak with in my work as a consultant remain caught in the debate over maintaining on-premises data centers versus moving to the cloud.
Even as Oracle CEO Larry Ellison came out as one of the cloud's biggest cheerleaders during Oracle OpenWorld last month, Melissa English, president of the Oracle Applications User Group, noted that most users are going with a hybrid approach and keeping some functions on-premises.
There are at least six reasons we can think of where it would indeed be appropriate to avoid considering the use of a public cloud service, and instead, only store certain data in privately controlled data centers. These range from concerns about regulatory requirements, to issues with connectivity and speed -- all of which are often outside the control of your organization and your cloud provider. Much depends on the type of data you need to store, and the mindset your organization has regarding cloud computing in general.
[Confused about cloud computing price structures? Read Cloud Computing: 8 Hidden Costs.]
In my experience as a consultant and IT professional, I've seen IT departments that still view the use of cloud providers as an inferior solution compared to what can be offered in-house. In certain situations, they're right.
Here, we hope to give you a better understanding of the on-premises versus cloud debate, and some perspective on why tech leaders such as Larry Ellison believe that IT, for the foreseeable future, will likely follow a hybrid model where on-premises and cloud computing will coexist.
Once you've reviewed this debate, we'd love to hear your story about how your organization made the decision to maintain an application or database on-premises -- as opposed to in the cloud. Let us know your thought process in the comments section below, and whether or not you see your organization heading to the cloud in the near future.