In addition to the typical cloud variant, in which the IT resources are provided via the Internet, and the private cloud variant, in which the IT resources are only available via the intranet, there is also the hybrid variant. In this case, provision takes place both via the intranet and the Internet.
This provision can take place either in the company's own data center or through a data center service provider, depending on the needs of the company or any regulations. The options for data center hosting range between the two poles of 'internal provision' – in which IT resources are made available as a rental solution within the company network and behind the firewall via the intranet – and the 'public cloud', i.e. the use of services via the Internet. Current cloud provider models range from complete data storage in a private data center to externally managed and operated private cloud systems and shared and public cloud services.
Traditionally, manufacturing companies, for example, run their core applications such as product data management (PDM), product lifecycle management (PLM), CAD, technical documentation as well as enterprise resource planning (ERP), financial accounting and enterprise resource planning in their internal data center. However, these systems contain confidential company information that should not be taken off-site. If workload provisioning is automated and computing power made available to the company according to current demand, one is already talking about private cloud systems. The managed private cloud takes us one step further into the cloud world: many medium-sized companies only have small IT departments.
Additional expertise for offering services to customers and partners can then be provided by an external IT partner or cloud provider that manages the associated processes in its own data center. This way, important company data remains in the company network, but the service provider manages the IT platform. If the technical IT resources in-house are no longer sufficient to absorb peak loads, the use of hosted private clouds is recommended. This approach is particularly suitable for obtaining infrastructure services, such as backup services.
We are looking forward to discussing the solution approaches for such a hybrid solution with you personally. Please contact us! We are also happy to show you how to get started and which criteria you should consider.
