Azure Cloud vs. On Premise Storage: Which Storage Solutions is Best for Your Business?

How your company stores data plays a significant role in maximizing productivity and efficiency. But, before you can choose between cloud or on-premise storage structures, you need to understand how they operate. Learn more about the difference between Azure vs. on-premise and whether migrating to the cloud is right for your company.

What Is Azure

Azure is a cloud-computing platform that allows businesses to access and manage their cloud services using Microsoft’s powerful infrastructure. It includes more than 200 products and services designed to help companies solve evolving challenges and create a more streamlined future. Azure enables business owners to build, run, and maintain their applications across multiple environments.

What Elements Should You Consider When Determining Cloud vs. On-Premise?

Your company’s data powers your daily operations and plays an essential role in customer interactions. Finding the right storage platform is vital for making sure your staff has regular access and is secure from outside threats. Because of its importance, taking time to assess your current environment and seeing how it can be improved is a critical step before making a decision. Here are some elements to consider before making your choice:

Determine What You’re Willing to Spend

Researching the total cost of ownership allows you to figure out which storage model suits your needs. Many cloud-based providers offer a subscription-based model, while on-premise servers have an upfront cost and require regular maintenance to make sure they’re operating properly.

Calculate Your Hourly Downtime Cost

Being disconnected from your networks prevents employees from completing their daily tasks. Determining how much that impacts your revenue and productivity plays a significant role in selecting the right data storage solution.

Decide If You’re Okay With Hidden Costs

Some companies prefer physical servers because it allows them to store data at their facility. However, the hidden costs of maintenance and replacement need to be considered before committing to an option.

Assess Your Recovery Strategies

Do you have a business continuity and disaster recovery strategy in place? Implementing one allows you to quickly resume operations after a cyber attack or natural disaster. On-premise data centers allow you to replicate information servers to a secondary data center, while cloud software solutions make your workloads available virtually.

Evaluate How Your Business Operates

Do your employees work in the office every day, or have you adopted a modern approach that enables your staff to operate remotely? On-premises servers are adequate for small companies, but organizations that let employees work virtually need a cloud solution to maintain operations.

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What Are the Advantages of Cloud Computing Over Computing On-Premises?

Have you sensed that cloud computing is a better option than on-premise servers? That’s because, for most companies, it is the superior solution. While on-prem solutions do work for some small businesses, cloud-based platforms are ideal because they outperform hardware equipment in the following ways:

Cost

Reducing costs is a top priority for any business owner. Onsite storage solutions have high upfront costs and require regular maintenance to verify their health. Azure cloud-based environments allow companies to reduce costs by minimizing installation fees and requiring little ongoing maintenance.

Scalability

Businesses need a data center capable of growing with their operations. Onsite storage solutions aren’t scalable and require additional hardware to meet your needs. Microsoft Azure lets you pay for specific resources and can scale up when necessary.

Disaster Recovery

Onsite servers feature minimal backup and disaster recovery options, exposing your business to major issues if you experience a cyberattack. Azure features automated protection and health monitoring features that make sure your environment is working properly. Also, it migrates your data to a virtual environment that lets you recover essential data at any time.

Mobility

Using onsite servers as your data center ties your staff to your company’s office. Businesses looking to embrace a modern approach should implement a cloud-based solution, which enables their employees to work virtually anywhere with an internet connection.

Are You Ready to Build Your Azure Platform?

SBT Partners takes pride in customizing cloud-based environments that meet our clients’ needs. Contact us today to start building your Azure platform.

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Modernize Your Business With Our Cloud-Based Solutions

Migrating your data to a cloud-based environment is an important decision, but partnering with the right provider is essential to getting the platform your business needs. SBT Partners understands the importance of creating a modern workforce that meets the needs of your business. We’re a Microsoft Gold Partner that takes pride in building a cloud infrastructure that’s

Modern: Our team works with clients to enhance their infrastructure and allow their staff to collaborate effectively from anywhere.
Secure: We offer end-to-end cybersecurity solutions that give our partners peace of mind knowing their environment is protected.
Cost effective: Unlike other providers that upcharge for specific services, we offer comprehensive cloud solutions with a fixed monthly utility bill.

As an industry-leading cloud solutions provider, we offer the following services for our clients:

Cloud Migration

Having a well-designed migration strategy is essential for minimizing disruptions. We take pride in making the transition as seamless as possible and eliminating surprises by providing consistent communication throughout the process.

Business Continuity

We work with clients to build a business continuity plan that allows them to resume operations quickly after a disaster. Our team assigns roles for your employees, so everyone understands their responsibilities after an emergency.

Cloud Backup

Data loss can still happen in a cloud environment. Our cloud backup solutions provide a customized strategy that makes sure your information is safe, secure, and protected from outside threats.

Enhance Your Azure Platform With the SBT Partnership

At SBT Partners, we believe the best results come from a true partnership. Our team takes pride in building long-term relationships with our clients to increase their growth and maximize ROI. Working with SBT means you’re getting IT solutions from a provider that cares about your long-term goals.