The Future Is Cloud: Which Model Is Right for You?

Although cloud is no longer a new technology, many agencies are still in the early stages of embracing it. If you’re investigating if cloud is right for your organization, you likely have questions about how cloud works and what benefits it could bring your agency.  

Let’s start with the basics. Did you know there are four different types of cloud you can utilize? Here is a brief breakdown of what’s available:  

• Private cloud: The cloud infrastructure is operated solely for one organization. The organization or a third party may manage it, and it may exist on or off premises.  
• Community cloud: Several organizations share the cloud infrastructure, which supports a specific community that has shared concerns (e.g., mission, security requirements, policy and compliance considerations). The organizations or a third party may manage it, and it may exist on or off premises.  
• Public cloud: The cloud infrastructure is made available to the general public or a large industry group and is owned by an organization selling cloud services.  
• Hybrid cloud: The cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or more clouds (private, community or public) that remain unique entities but are bound together by standardized or proprietary technology that enables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting for load-balancing between clouds). 
  
  Now that you have an idea of the types of cloud, you can start thinking about which may right for your agency.  
  
  Download this guide to get more information on applying cloud at your agency, including real-life examples from other agencies on how they successfully utilized this tech to move their mission forward.