On-premises data centres, commonly referred to as “on prem,” allow you to have full control of your infrastructure, while cloud infrastructure is cost-efficient and easy to scale up and down.
An on-premises data centre is a group of servers that you privately own and control. Traditional cloud computing (as opposed to hybrid or private cloud computing models) involves essentially leasing data centre resources from a third-party service provider.
"On-prem"refers to private data centres that companies house in their own facilities and maintain themselves. On-prem infrastructure can be used to run private clouds, in which compute resources are virtualised in much the same way as those of public clouds (note however, that private clouds can also be run leased third-party hardware.)
When people speak of cloud computing, they’re most often referring to "traditional" or "public" cloud, a model in which a third-party service provider makes computing resources available for consumption on an as-needed basis. Public cloud is a multi-tenant environment, meaning that these computing resources are shared by multiple individuals or companies, with all data secured by state-of-the-art encryption.
On-prem definition
Both on-prem and cloud computing can provide your business with the IT infrastructure it needs. The model you choose will likely depend on the level of security you need in order to meet compliance standards, and on the cost structure you prefer. Here’s a look at how the two models compare.
| Business need | On-premises | Public cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Data-centre single tenancy (for compliance) | | |
| Highly secure data encryption | | |
| Customizable hardware, purpose-built systems | | |
| Capacity easy to scale up and down | | |
| Infrastructure requires large, regular investments | | |
| Pay-as-you-go, usage-based pricing | | |
| Complete data visibility and control | | |
| Built-in, automated data backups and recovery | | |
| Near-zero downtime risk | | |
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