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Are you wondering what is the best deployment option for your organisation’s business critical applications. When deciding whether to deploy your solution on-premise traditionally, in the cloud, or even as a hybrid of the two, there are numerous factors to consider. So, which option should you select and why?
Whether you run a hotel, hospitality brand, corporate business, an arena or stadium, or public service to name a few, your company, no matter how big or small, is probably making considerable investments in digital engagement technologies. A company's long-term success depends on having a deployment plan that maximises return on investment.
Creating a straightforward but thorough checklist of critical factors is essential as a start as it allows you to justify your deployment plan. These factors can be broadly divided into three categories: financial, technological, and management considerations.
With a conventional on-premise deployment, new hosting server hardware is installed on your site. In addition to regular hardware maintenance and staff resources to handle the technology, this may need a considerable initial hardware expenditure. The financial bottom line will be instantly impacted by the initial investment as well as other unforeseen expenses. Running internal hardware and software also has a finite lifespan, requiring hardware upgrades every three to five years.
With a single monthly, quarterly, or annual recurring fee, a cloud deployment eliminates many of the expense spikes related to an on-premise deployment. With this SaaS (Software as a Service) model, budget administration is made easier and the initial impact on the bottom line is less as compared to a CapEx budget.
The ability to "see" and "own" the physical hardware has historically provided a measure of security, but the benefits of cloud hosting outweigh this viewpoint, with forward-thinking businesses benefiting from not having to install or maintain physical hardware. A cloud solution also eliminates the need for a contingency budget for potentially expensive or unforeseen updates. In addition, there are less hardware depreciation costs to consider.
You may have fundamental concerns about stability, security, and scalability in addition to critical problems about the technology itself that need to be addressed.
For highly data-sensitive companies, like those in banking, the military, or the government, an on-premise solution is always going to be the preferred and often required choice, as the data is more sensitive.
Although security is a crucial factor, most cloud digital signage platforms offer the level of network and data protection that is sufficient to allay concerns thanks to their high levels of integrated encryption, authentication, and system security. This level of network and data protection is consistent with the demands of most organisations.
It's important to ensure minimal downtime and optimum performance. A tested on-premise solution can provide a high level of assurance, but if necessary, possibly expensive backup and redundancy precautions are not taken, it may be more susceptible to data loss in crisis situations.
With a cloud deployment, dependency on internally stable servers is minimised; all that is needed to assure 24/7/365 uptime is an internet connection to the cloud servers.
With careful preparation and the deployment of additional hardware to handle new services, an on-premise solution can be scaled up. Yet, some of the hardware investments may become unnecessary if the needs are downsized.
Scalability is one of the major advantages of a cloud deployment. The system is appropriate for dynamic organisations since users and services can be added or deleted as business needs dictate. When using the cloud, businesses simply pay for the services they use.
Some businesses can consider an either/or strategy to be constrictive and hesitant to fully commit to one plan. In this situation, a hybrid strategy can be quite effective. Business-sensitive systems can stay on-premise, while less-sensitive solutions that are more likely to need scalability and flexibility are hosted outside the company. IT teams can give their key internal deployments more attention from a management standpoint.
When servers are put on-site, an internal IT staff are often in charge of management, maintenance, software upgrades, patches, and support. With the duty for sustaining the solution and internal control over all linked processes, this can put a lot of pressure on an organisation.
A cloud solution relieves a substantial portion of this burden, freeing up important resources to concentrate on other crucial or strategic business operations. Also, where internal resources are limited, knowing that the network is supported by worldwide 24/7/365 assistance can be invaluable for expanding global businesses.
In conclusion, it's crucial to select a solution that meets the specific requirements of your business while keeping in mind that what works now might not be relevant in the future.
It is getting harder and harder to dismiss the advantages of flexible SaaS licencing and a recurring subscription-based business model as more enterprises choose a cloud deployment approach. Reduced initial hardware investment costs can also be a big plus, especially when budgets are tight. Other important advantages include resilience, security, and scalability.
As more organisations start to realise that an off-premise installation makes them a little more agile, competitive, and lean, Uniguest has unveiled Mediastar’s Media Manager 12.0, which is now accessible both on-premise and in the cloud.
An IP link is provided between your on-premise hardware and a cloud-based Media Management server by the MediaStar Cloud Gateway. Customers will have complete control over their media environment, access reporting tools, and manage the capture, storage, and presentation of their media assets, with the option of deployment from the cloud or an on-site server. This will allow customers to effectively target content to their audience in the right place at the right time.
Considering this, on-premise computing may be the best option for you if you are aware of your organisation's intentions for the next two, three, or four years.
But if, like many enterprises, you are concerned about the future of on-site deployment, contact us to find out about how we may help you regain some control and join the rising number of businesses that have converted to the Cloud.
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