Guide to Hosted Private Clouds

Hosted Private Cloud

A Complete Guide to Hosted Private Clouds

If you’re like the average SMB, you likely store around 162.9 TB of data. Larger businesses like your growing enterprise also can expect to expand their databases to hold about 347.56 TB of information.

Because this is such a vast amount of storage, it’s critical that you select a hosting plan that works for you. Hosted private clouds are an option that keeps your sensitive information safe and secure while providing you with easy access.

But what exactly are private clouds? What benefits do they offer? Read on to answer these questions and to get some insight into whether this is the right storage system to meet your LA business needs.

What Are Hosted Private Clouds?

Private clouds are cloud computing systems in which all resources are specifically dedicated to one customer. These resources include both hardware and software features. The only individual or enterprise that has any information in a private cloud is the one that pays for the environment.

This is in contrast with public clouds that store information for multiple users or enterprises. While public clouds have security measures in place to stop unauthorized access to data, others still will have access to the storage space.

This is a drawback for companies that work with a lot of sensitive data. Such data may include personally identifiable information, financial records, confidential information, and intellectual property.

Many companies also choose hosted private clouds in Los Angeles because they need to meet company compliance regulations. Some enterprises or local regulations stipulate that their information must be stored in a private setting rather than a public one. Not doing so could land companies with hefty fines and poor reputations.

How Do Private Clouds Operate?

Unlike public clouds, hosted private alternatives are hosted on-premise at the company using them. They reside in the enterprise’s data center hardware and are managed close to the business. This is ideal for some because data access is speedy, efficient, and high-quality.

However, having on-premise hardware also has its downsides. It requires more space for the necessary hardware and on-site IT assistance during potential downtime and malfunctions. Furthermore, storing your hardware on-site means that you will need to wait for experts to come to update it (even if software updates can happen remotely).

That’s why many people choose to have their private cloud hardware stored in an offsite data center. You have complete control of the hardware without needing to store it yourself. It’s your choice when to upgrade it or perform routine maintenance checks.

This hardware stores cloud computing software built to meet your company’s individual needs. Unlike using AWS or Azure, accessing a private cloud in LA gives you control over all aspects of your storage space.

Is This Different From Dedicated Hosting?

The distinction between private cloud vs dedicated hosting systems can be difficult to see. However, these two concepts are actually quite different, and cloud computing has a plethora of benefits that dedicated servers don’t offer.

Dedicated servers are physical servers that your business can rent or purchase. All of your information is stored within this physical server either on-site or at a third-party location. The data isn’t stored digitally but rather is stored in one well-secured location.

Dedicated servers are secure and meet high-capacity business data needs. However, they also leave your data susceptible to issues if the hardware malfunctions or is destroyed in a natural disaster.

This is where hosted cloud servers come into play. Rather than being hosted on a single piece of physical hardware, cloud servers exist in a private virtual environment.

You pay for the amount of server space you use rather than for an entire piece of hardware. This space is 100% private despite being virtualized and therefore affords you the same privacy benefits as dedicated servers offer.

Cloud hosting plans are better for some enterprises because they back up all data automatically and have clear disaster recovery plans in place. While private clouds require hardware, you don’t need to worry about maintaining it and putting exorbitant fees into updates. Instead, your Los Angeles cloud provider will automatically take care of these routine maintenance activities.

Architecture for Private Clouds

The main difference between dedicated servers and private clouds is their architecture. The main architectural feature that sets private clouds apart is virtualization. IT resources are separable from the physical hardware used to host them.

This lets information be stored across multiple virtual machines and containers. Data and stored applications are accessible by multiple users in different areas of LA (or the country) rather than simply those near the server itself. It makes business more agile, flexible, and scalable than ever before.

Automation is also made possible with hosted private clouds. Integrating applications and provisioning data no longer need to be performed manually (as would be required prior to virtualization). The decreased need for manual intervention heightens efficiency and allows for self-service delivery of resources.

The Benefits of Private Clouds

Private clouds are primarily beneficial in that they’re secure and scalable. Not only do you have exclusive access to your server, keeping unauthorized users out, but you also can increase or decrease your server size as you see fit.

Companies are always growing and needs are constantly changing. Your data and application storage systems need to be able to grow and shrink depending on your current needs. If they don’t, you may find yourself sacrificing necessary data to make room for new applications.

Private clouds let you purchase more space whenever necessary. You aren’t stuck to one single amount just because it’s what you immediately invested in.

You also can shrink your server space when you aren’t using it. Since private cloud storage is unlike dedicated hosting in that you only pay for what you use, you can save money at times when you need less space.

Mobile Access to Information

With 1 in 4 Americans working remotely in 2021, more people are engaging in work from home than ever before. This pandemic-induced phenomenon also looks like it’s here to stay. By 2025, experts estimate that 36.2 million Americans will be working remotely, which is 87% more people that worked from home before the pandemic began.

Additionally, more than half of global internet users currently access the web with mobile devices. Because of this, it’s important that authorized users can access data and applications from any device at any time.

Public clouds allow for mobile access, but they don’t allow for the specialized space or compliance regulations that some companies value. Dedicated servers struggle to provide remote access because proximity to the server means higher speed. If you have remote workers across the nation, this isn’t a good option.

The private cloud is the best way to give people mobile access to data. Assuming they’re authorized users, those working with the information on the cloud can get it on any device. Since the cloud is virtual, it also will be accessible across not just the US, but also across the globe.

Consistently Up-to-Date Services

Though we’ve discussed the benefits of private clouds at length, it’s time to look at the reasons that you should invest in one that’s professionally hosted.

While many companies try to perform system and software updates on their own, this is a huge challenge. It’s expensive to have in-house IT professionals do this because of the skilled labor and training required. Outsourcing updates saves both money and time on training.

Additionally, professionals are experienced experts in performing these updates the right way. Performing incorrect updates not only fails to optimize your network but can result in lost data. Whether you want to start migrating to the cloud, optimize your performance, or set up hybrid cloud services, professionals can make it happen quickly and efficiently.

Save Time and Money

Hiring a new employee costs a company an average of 42 workdays and $4129. These figures are likely higher for IT positions because of the highly niche skills required for the job. You’ll need to invest in training, technology, and more.

Outsourcing your cloud storage means outsourcing your IT. You won’t need to invest in training and onboarding since experts will perform all essential functions for you off-site.

Private clouds also help you to save time and money on maintenance. Because all updates are automated by professionals who know what they’re doing, you don’t need to research how to perform routine maintenance. This lets you invest time in other areas of your business such as developing core products and improving client outreach.

Another way that you save time with private cloud hosting is a scalable payment model. Since, as we brushed on earlier, you only pay for the server space you actively use, you can reduce your overall IT budget. You can then redirect your money towards other technologies that cooperate and integrate with your cloud solutions.

Quality Customer Support

While it’s a versatile and easy-to-use technology, cloud computing can come with any number of questions. How do system updates impact your enterprise’s day-to-day? How can you optimize your mobile devices to best connect to the private cloud?

Having a hosted private cloud automatically means that there are experts you can reach out to with any questions that you have. Our customer support team is happy to talk with you via phone or email and get back to you with answers to all of your inquiries.

Customer support for your organization also allows you to better communicate your needs with us. Since private clouds are solutions independently tailored to your specific needs, we can tweak and alter them to meet your individual requests. This is unlike a public cloud since you would have no say in the storage, system applications, and user features of something accessible by multiple parties.

Constant Backups and Recovery Options

Backups are one of the most frequent things you would need to do if you chose on-site hosting or public cloud plans. While this may sound straightforward, the issues that a poor backup could cause are great. You could lose sensitive information such as corporate data.

Private clouds don’t just make backing up data easy but make it simple to restore data when it gets lost. Because the information is stored in a virtual environment, hardware damage won’t lose it.

Even if your hardware is destroyed in a flood or fire, the data that you’ve stored is on the cloud. This makes it possible for you to download it to new hardware and back it up to that system.

Fully Customizable Environments

Finally, unlike public clouds, private cloud environments are 100% customizable. Systems like AWS and Microsoft Azure are fast and flexible, but they don’t let you optimize performance for your specific use. This makes sense- after all, those systems don’t belong to you.

On the other hand, though, private clouds are uniquely yours. You can add or eliminate features as you see fit. You also can integrate other applications with your system to ensure that it functions appropriately.

Ultimately, using Be Structured is a great way to tailor your storage and data to your individual business.

Store Your Data the Right Way

Ultimately, hosted private clouds are a place where you can store your data away from potential threats. Assuming that you select a provider that works to meet your individual needs, your private cloud will keep your information scalable, accessible, and easy to manage.

Now that you know the benefits of a hosted private cloud in LA, it’s time to get started. Reach out to our experts with any remaining questions that you have. We’re also happy to give you a quote for your own private server, so contact us ASAP!

About Chad Lauterbach

CEO at Be Structured Technology Group, Inc. a Los Angeles based provider of Managed IT Services for small business. I desire to help small businesses better utilize technology by assisting in high level planning to make sure that new systems will benefit them both operationally and financially. I am careful to implement and support systems using industry best practices.