Four Cloud Deployment Models You May Know

Cloud computing is at the heart of increasing amounts of connectivity across the commercial landscape. This is the way of both the present and the future; it has been estimated that more than 85 percent of organizations will have embraced cloud computing by 2025.

Individuals and enterprises often refer to “The Cloud” as if it is a single all-embracing, amorphous capability that somehow materializes and makes it possible for them to function with greater digital efficiency than ever before.

However, it is essential for any company considering utilizing the potential of the Cloud to understand that there are four principal and distinct cloud deployment models. Each brings benefits to its users, but at the same time it’s important to choose the right one from the list of deployment models of cloud computing that best suits your enterprise, and its aspirations.

Compared to traditional IT infrastructure, cloud deployment models deliver several advantages. For instance, you don’t necessarily have to invest in physical servers and data centers. Instead, you can have a flexible and highly scalable solution that is also extremely cost-effective in comparison with your old way of computing.

ZirconTech has a high level of expertise in cloud deployment models. We have been working with cloud platforms for many years, which means we are ideally placed to deliver consultancy services on this theme. We can help our partners with cloud adoption strategies, digital transformation, and support.

Our experience also ensures we can bring you this definitive guide to the main four deployment models of cloud computing.

Types of Cloud Deployment Models

There are several questions you will need to ask as you consider the various cloud deployment models before deciding which one best suits your organization and its requirements.

You are about to create a virtual computing environment. How comfortable are your teams with the demands of the model you plan to install? What is your capex and opex budget? What is your current – and future – level of activity that must be catered for by your cloud deployment?

Public Cloud Deployment

As you might expect from the name, a public cloud is available to the populace at large. All the infrastructure that is there to support you belongs to service providers that manage it. As a result, you do not need to invest in, and maintain, your own hardware.

Because of the widespread access to a public cloud deployment, this is not an option if you are planning to store large amounts of sensitive data. However, if you have low privacy demands but want to scale up the level of use you make of your cloud computing, a public cloud deployment may be ideal.

This is one of the most popular cloud deployment models. End-user spending on public cloud services is predicted to rise to nearly $600billion globally in 2023, a significant rise from 2022’s figure of $491billion.

The principal advantages of public cloud deployment are as follows:

1. Low investment costs. This is a pay-per use service, which means you don’t have to make a significant up-front investment.
2. No hardware set-up. Your cloud service provider pays for the infrastructure you are using, and also foots the bill for maintaining it. You will not need an in-house team to oversee your use of a public cloud deployment.
3. Scalability. If you are a growing organization with aspirations of serious growth, expanding your use of public cloud is straightforward.
4. Availability at any time, with no limit on the number of users.

The main drawbacks of a public cloud deployment can be summarized thus:

1. Security. You are effectively a joint tenant in an open public space.
2. Closely related to that concern is the question of privacy. You have virtually none here – and you may not know exactly where your data is being stored, and who might have access to it.
3. Although you may not have any up-front investment, there will be numerous ongoing costs.
4. Ultimately, you do not have control over the systems that your business applications are using.

You can take some reassurance from the fact that many public cloud deployment providers are household names in the digital world with well-established reputations in this space. Some of the best known providers are Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.

Private Cloud Deployment Model

The architecture and functionality of a private cloud deployment model are not so different to those associated with a public cloud. However, as you can probably guess from its label, the way it operates is extremely different.

Think of this arrangement as a private residence, compared to a hotel. In the case of a private cloud deployment model, the cloud in question is owned by – and its use restricted to – one organization.

Your server may be on your premises, or off site. What matters is that you have a private network, and software and hardware, that are dedicated solely to your use. As a result, you may hear such set-ups described as a corporate or internal cloud deployment model.

Nobody from outside your organization will be granted access to this cloud. You control the list of colleagues who can use it. As you can imagine, this makes a private cloud deployment model highly desirable for enterprises that work with large volumes of commercially or personally sensitive data. The fact that security levels will be much higher is complemented by the potential for your infrastructure to be customized to your needs.

The advantages of a private cloud deployment model are:

1. You can create a bespoke deployment with great flexibility and a certain degree of scalability.
2. Security and privacy are at the heart of private cloud – this is arguably the greatest appeal for the organizations that use it.
3. You can continue to work with legacy systems that cannot access a public cloud.

As for the drawbacks, they can be summarized as follows:

1. You are likely to be able to access a much smaller range of services.
2. The cost will be higher. Providers will leverage your desire for security and privacy, which means your up-front costs – and your ongoing spend – will be higher.
3. You will also have to invest in training of staff who are permitted to access the cloud. This, added to the extra up-front spend, may make a private cloud deployment model less attractive to smaller enterprises.

Many familiar names that work in public cloud can also offer their assistance with a private cloud deployment. They include Microsoft and IBM.

Hybrid Cloud Deployment Model

You may not be able to commit to either a private or public cloud deployment. Your business may be in a position where it needs certain elements of each, without wanting to put all its eggs in the same digital basket.

For instance, you may have made significant investments in your own hardware and wish to make use of it while also stepping up your use of the cloud. At the same time, you want to leverage the access benefits delivered by a public cloud deployment.

In these circumstances, a hybrid cloud deployment may be the answer for your organization. This delivers a combination of private and public cloud – and is, after the public cloud, the second most in-demand model of cloud computing.

When you go through a hybrid cloud deployment, you use the public cloud but you also have your own systems at your premises, which can be connected to the cloud to deliver a unified solution.

You can, in effect, enjoy the best of both worlds. By operating your deployment efficiently, you can keep your sensitive data protected and on your site, while also operating a public cloud deployment. It is worth emphasizing that the most crucial component here is the communication between the two, which will need to be ultra-efficient.

As a result, your organization can enjoy the lower cost of public cloud while benefiting from the peace of mind that comes from knowing your commercially sensitive data is being protected.

The benefits of a hybrid cloud deployment are:

1. You can enjoy the security of a private cloud, which keeps your data safe from hackers.
2. The overall cost of a hybrid deployment is likely to be lower because much of your data will be in the public area of your system.
3. There is great potential flexibility in being able to enjoy the best of both worlds – and to customize your solution so that it meets your exact requirements.

However, the hybrid model does have some drawbacks:

1. The management of your new infrastructure can be extremely challenging because of the complexity implicit in using two systems.
2. Splitting your data into sensitive and non-sensitive can be a delicate and time-consuming ongoing process.
3. Ultimately, while you may have more protection than with the public cloud, there will still not be the same level of security you can build into a private cloud deployment model.

Community Cloud Deployment Model

There may be circumstances in which your organization wants to share its cloud computing capability with other enterprises in the same sector. In this instance, a community cloud deployment model may be the best way forward.

In structure, the community cloud model is similar to the private one, in that ownership of the architecture and functionality is in a clearly defined set of hands. Where this example differs, however, is that there is more than one organization with access to the keys to the castle.

A community cloud deployment works well when several organizations have the same privacy, security and performance needs. This means a centralized system that makes cloud operations more efficient for all members of the community in question.

For instance, several banks, law firms, or retail outlets in a shopping center, may get together to use a community cloud to carry out many of the day-to-day tasks that are common to all. The cost is shared between members, and management and hosting are the responsibility of either an operative within the community, or a trusted third party.

The concept of the community cloud deployment model is relatively new, and as such has not seen widespread adoption yet. You can expect this to change as increasing numbers of organizations and contacts within their network appreciate the potential cost and operational benefits of such a set-up.

Those benefits include:

1. You get the level of control that comes with a private cloud deployment, without having to invest in and manage all the attendant infrastructure alone.
2. It becomes easier to share data with like-minded organizations, and to collaborate on projects where appropriate.
3. The shared cost of the deployment and its operation means this can be a cost-effective option for many enterprises.

Some drawbacks of a community cloud deployment are:

1. Organization of the shared resources, specifically with regard to security and segmentation, may be challenging.
2. Without a high degree of alignment between members, there is the potential for discord over the operation of the cloud.
3. The fact that this is a relatively recent model means there may be limited availability across certain industries.

As well as the four examples listed above, there are other cloud deployment models that may become more popular as time goes by. These include multi-clouds, poly clouds, and virtual private clouds.

How ZirconTech Can Assist With Your Cloud Deployment Model

The Covid-19 pandemic, and the response to it, was an accelerator for many industries and enterprises in terms of their cloud deployment models. Businesses across the globe realized they could operate remotely while maintaining their standards of efficiency.

This came as no surprise to ZirconTech. We have been working with cloud platforms for several years as part of our commitment to the delivery of effective digital transformation solutions.

As a result, we are the ideal partner for businesses seeking consultancy advice and practical assistance in the deployment of the right cloud deployment model. Please contact us now to find out how we might be able to help you.