Computing without the Risks of the Public Cloud

Cloud computing gets its name from the familiar cloud drawings used to depict the Internet in network diagrams. Besides being an easy way to render a complex concept, it is also an appropriate metaphor. Like real clouds, the cloud computing model has no clear boundaries or borders and is constantly shifting and changing. It enables organizations to tap shared IT resources to lower costs and reduce complexity while gaining increased flexibility and scalability.

There are a variety of ways to create and deliver a cloud environment. In a public cloud model, a service provider makes the cloud infrastructure available to the general public or a large industry group via the Internet. The public cloud option often appeals too small to midsize businesses (SMBs) because it is inexpensive, scalable and versatile, and requires little IT expertise.

However, the public cloud option also has the greatest potential for security breaches resulting from shared technology vulnerabilities, data loss and leakage, and account, service or traffic hijacking. In other words, public cloud services are easy to provision and use, but carry with them all the risks inherent in a shared environment. As a result, the public cloud option is often inappropriate for mission-critical applications and data.

The good news is that you don’t have to give up the benefits of cloud computing because of security concerns. Abba offers a private cloud computing solution that protects you from the risks of the public cloud in a flexible environment geared toward your specific needs.

A private cloud can be deployed inside an organization’s firewall through the application of automation, orchestration and management tools to a highly virtualized data center environment. Deploying a private cloud is notoriously complex, however, and few SMBs have the resources or expertise to take on such a project.

In a hosted private cloud model, a service provider such as Abba supplies the infrastructure and services necessary to create the private cloud environment. You gain the cost-efficiencies of cloud computing coupled with a greater level of security and control than is possible with public cloud services.

Abba’s private cloud solution allows you to eliminate the costs and support challenges associated with the typical in-house IT infrastructure while ensuring that your data is kept private and protected. Gone are the capital outlays for equipment and upgrades and the headaches associated with security and ongoing maintenance. You gain access to the IT resources you need to run your business for a low monthly fee. We can also quickly scale capacity up or down to accommodate peak workloads or changing business requirements — you pay for what you need and use without having to maintain excess capacity.

Bottom line: The cloud gives organizations a tremendous degree of flexibility to craft an IT infrastructure that best fits their needs while reducing costs and complexity. Cloud computing is not without risks and challenges, however. Abba’s private cloud solution minimizes those risks while providing customers with all the benefits of a cloud environment.