How often do you hear “we are in the cloud” or “we are going to the cloud”? If you then ask whether it is a public or managed cloud, you get crickets. That answer is not readily available. Snel.com explains in this article what the difference is between Public- and Managed cloud, and for whom managed is the best solution.
Start from scratch or migrate
You use the cloud for new or existing IT activities. In this first case, you start from scratch. In the other case, you migrate an existing activity that runs on physical hardware to a virtual cloud platform.
In both cases you opt for virtual hardware via the cloud, instead of your own physical hardware. That makes sense. The scalability and thus flexibility of the cloud is unsurpassed. With the proverbial push of a button, you can add or scale down computing power or storage capacity, without having to take a step into a server room.
Do it yourself or outsource
You can keep track of the need for capacity yourself, or you could outsource it to the party that provides the cloud service, such as Snel.com.
If you have the time to manage and control all your IT processes in the cloud yourself, or you just enjoy doing this, then you are best off with a real public cloud environment. You yourself are then behind the virtual buttons. But be aware that this also means greater responsibility and it could easily take you more time than you had previously estimated.
Not everyone wants to be responsible for managing their own virtual IT environment. You see that companies that are phasing out their own physical hardware and opting for the cloud, are consciously choosing a managed cloud environment. In that case, it is the provider who monitors and ensures the correct capacity.
In the case of Snel.com, you are then assured of 24/7/365 monitoring of your virtual server space. For both large and smaller companies, that is a good option. They truly no longer have to be concerned about the platform.
Personal contact
By making clear agreements in advance with the provider, it is clear to everyone who is responsible for what. This is essential since platforms and applications are typically distinguished from one another. Most customers, especially if the software is part of their own service offering, prefer to manage the applications themselves.
Agreements can be arranged with a public cloud provider, however this is often only available to bigger clients. They can receive customisation and a consistent contact person. Customers who fit the SME profile will find this to be much more challenging. They are more dependent on the tools. This soon gives rise to a sense that one is just a number.
Advice
Everyone who values personal interaction and phone calls that go beyond reciting a script, will find appeal in Snel.com Here the phone is answered by a human and not a robot. Your request for a managed environment is carefully reviewed. After all, understanding the client's IT requirements is necessary in order to deliver a good managed service. You will always be informed if a managed VPS is a better option for you than a Managed Dedicated Server, which is more expensive.
You can also get advice about the right type of virtual server from the large public cloud servers. The difference is that It is formed by you filling out a standard questionnaire that is automatically analysed. The advise is generated without engagement from you, the consumer. For someone who doesn't mind pushing the buttons and making corrections, that won't be a problem. The consequence of such fine tweaking is that the costs can have an unpredictable path. This volatility in expenses is less of a concern with Snel.com's managed cloud.
Costs
Costs: Managed Servers from Snel.com are always less expensive than equivalent public cloud services like Azure, Amazon AWS, and Google Cloud. The choice is easy. With Snel.com you can save money and you can be sure that specialists will keep an eye on your system, even outside office hours and when you are on vacation.
If you depend on your server for your day-to-day operations and are unwilling or unable to invest the necessary funds, time, and effort in administering it, you should choose a managed solution.
