Public Cloud

 

The public cloud, or open cloud, is an online infrastructure that is shared among multiple organizations. Specifically, it involves sharing storage capacity, software, hardware, or entire platforms. One of the most well-known cloud applications is Microsoft 365.

What is public cloud?

As the name implies, the public cloud is public and accessible to everyone. Cloud providers make their infrastructure publicly available, and you simply rent a portion of their capacity and pay based on your usage. It's similar to your utilities at home. In the same way, you share a server with other businesses and pay for your portion.

In a public cloud, all the infrastructure is owned by the cloud provider. You don't have physical equipment yourself; instead, all the hardware is located at the cloud provider's site. However, your data is only visible to you. The companies with whom you share the infrastructure do not have access to your data. Despite sharing the infrastructure, the data is completely separate.

Since you are not the owner of the infrastructure and do not have access to the physical location, you are also subject to local regulations. If you rent servers from an American cloud provider, for example, your data falls under American privacy laws. If your company processes sensitive information or needs to comply with strict privacy standards, it's essential to be cautious and consider these factors.

Public cloud

Benefits Public Cloud

  • Cost-effective: You don't need to invest in hardware and/or software yourself. You only pay for what you use with the cloud provider.
  • Scalability: Need more capacity temporarily? No problem. You can easily request more or less infrastructure as needed.
  • Ease of use: You don't have to worry about maintenance or updates. This is taken care of for you. Additionally, there is a support team available to assist with any issues or questions.
  • Reliability: Since cloud providers have thousands of servers located in one place, there is significantly greater computing power, and any disruptions are quickly addressed.
infrastructuur

Who offers public cloud platforms?

 

Currently, there are three major players that smaller cloud providers find it difficult to compete with: Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud Platform. Amazon and Microsoft, in particular, have the largest market share. However, companies like Alibaba and Dropbox also offer cloud services.

Startup

Who uses the public cloud?

 

The public cloud can be used by anyone, so there isn't one specific target audience. However, the public cloud is particularly beneficial for businesses with fluctuating needs that require the ability to scale quickly. Therefore, it is often startups and rapidly growing companies that rely on public cloud applications.

Cloud

Are there other cloud options?

In addition to the public cloud, there are also private cloud and hybrid cloud options.

  • Private cloud is the complete opposite of the public cloud. With a private cloud, everything is kept internal. You invest in hardware, such as servers, that are physically located at your company or another site.
     
  • As with all opposites, there is also a middle ground. When you combine the public and private cloud, we refer to it as a hybrid cloud. In this form, you have both your own infrastructure on-premises and online infrastructure that you rent from a cloud provider.

Let's meet!

 

Which cloud model is the best option varies from company to company. It is therefore important to gather information or seek advice. At Level27, we have years of experience in all cloud applications. Let's talk!

Contact