Advantages and Disadvantages of Cloud Storage

The onset of the Pandemic pushed most organisations to adopt cloud services (PaaS, SaaS, and IaaS) earlier than estimated. As a result, businesses have started planning their investments in the cloud.

It has been seen that companies embracing cloud computing and services can accelerate time to market, innovate faster and scale flexibly. Cloud computing is core to digital transformation, as it enables remote servers to access and store data. Globally, IT services have invested $1.3 trillion in cloud computing solutions.

Cloud storage, a significant aspect of computing, ensures the safety and security of your data in a cost-efficient manner. In addition, it saves the cost of setting up reliable infrastructure and managing the application or database.

While cloud storage opens many opportunities for your business, it also comes with some pitfalls.

Here, we will take you through the pros and cons of cloud storage solutions.

Pros and Cons of Cloud Storage

Advantages of Cloud Storage

Let’s look at the positives of investing in cloud storage solutions for your business.

1. Cost-efficient Services

The cloud storage vendors offer a pay-as-you-go model, wherein you pay for the storage capacity. So, if you are using 2GB of storage space in the vendor’s server, you will pay for that space alone. 

This saves you from the infrastructure, networking, and setting up costs. Imagine you need to scale up your storage space. Traditionally you will need to add servers, networks, and the requisite infrastructure.

This would add to the cost and effort. However, you ask the vendor to increase the capacity and pay for the usage with cloud storage.

2. Data Accessibility

Your data is centralised and relatively easy to access with cloud storage solutions. When handling large projects, different teams tend to work in collaboration. In the case of remote collaborative culture, storage solutions help the resources access the application or data in real-time.

This allows you to complete the projects in time using DevOps strategies. You can choose storage solutions where you allow access to multiple members simultaneously.

3. Recovery

Application recovery is faster and easier when working with cloud storage services. While working on the application, you may face Internet connectivity, bandwidth, etc. With cloud storage, your data is intact and can be recovered as and when needed.  

4. Increased Security

Data breaches can cause revenue and opportunity losses for a business. However, that is not the case when working with cloud storage solutions. 

The cloud storage vendors take extreme care to manage the data responsibly by securing the data with suitable measures. 

The network, infrastructure, and servers are designed using full-proof security strategies to protect them from cyber-attacks.

Disadvantages of Cloud Storage

Let’s take a quick look at the flip side of investing in cloud storage solutions for your business. 

1. Compliance to Regulations

When storing data, you must adhere to legal compliance such as GDPR, HIPAA, FISMA, and others. Specific industries have defined regulations for storing critical or personal data. It is essential to follow these regulations to avoid data breaches.

In case of data breaches owing to non-adherence to compliance, it could hamper your reputation. As a result, when choosing the cloud storage services provider, you should look for someone who adheres to compliance. 

You should also sign a contract to ensure proper data management and transparent collaboration. 

2. Privacy

Your data is not completely private in the cloud. You are not storing it locally, and you are not sure how many people are accessing the servers or the infrastructure. This is a major question that requires some thought before proceeding with business-critical data.

3. Security Issues

When you store your data in the cloud, it is secure and safe compared to storing it on local infrastructure. However, you may also face data vulnerability issues that can pose a threat.

If your cloud storage services provider hasn’t opted for the best security practices or hasn’t implemented sound security systems, your data is vulnerable. In case of downtime or otherwise, hackers may get access to your data.

It is essential to research your storage solution providers before partnering with them to prevent data breaches.

4. Internet Dependencies

You are dependent on an Internet connection to access the data and retrieve your applications. If the Internet is slow, you may experience data retrieval or application access issues. This can cause problems, especially if you face a time crunch or need to deliver the application immediately.

5. Lack of Support

When dealing with free cloud storage services, you will note that the support extended is not precisely the best. In some cases, the support system is not transparent and immediate.

As a result, you need to connect with the knowledge base or preloaded FAQs if you face issues. Getting a person on the call or chat may not be easy. 

6. Difficult to Migrate

If you have signed up with a cloud services provider, migrating your data and application to another vendor’s cloud storage services will be difficult. One of the primary reasons is the complexities involved with migration. It is also possible that there is no defined process to move the enormous amount of data from one cloud to another.

7. Vendor Agreement

When you sign an agreement with a cloud storage services provider, you may also experience a lock-in period. You will need to keep your data with the service provider for the said period, even if you are unsatisfied with the performance.

It is, therefore, essential to find someone who is reliable and secure so that the lock-in period doesn’t prove to be a disadvantage for your business. 

Conclusion

If you want to leverage the potential opportunities of cloud storage solutions and avoid the cons, you should research and identify a strong storage services provider.

Your cloud storage services provider should comply with the regulations, have a strong privacy and security infrastructure and offer the best support.

It is equally important to choose the right storage solution that fits your application and budget requirements to stay cost-efficient.