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Jun 19 2012
Data Center

Public, Private, Hybrid: What’s the Difference?

Sort out the three main types of cloud computing with these definitions.
by

Heather B. Hayes has been covering technology, business and education topics for more than 20 years and has written more than 2,000 published articles. She lives in Virginia.

A public cloud refers to a service that offers applications and IT functions to a general customer base with very few opportunities for individualization. However, agency officials often define a public cloud as one that is hosted off premises by a third-party provider, but is protected in the sense that it is governed by a negotiated contract and includes customized pricing, service and security levels, as well as a strategy for data return should the arrangement end.

  • Pros: No capital investment; access to economies of scale and specialized knowledge; predictable pay-as-you-go costs
  • Cons: Loss of control over agency data; less ability to customize and prioritize how resources are managed
  • Popular uses: E-mail, storage, standard productivity software, non-core applications

A private cloud is created for and used expressly by an individual agency.

  • Pros: Control of data location, resource provisioning, security, service levels and compliance measures; gain flexibility and remote access
  • Cons: Resource-intensive and expensive; requires specialized IT expertise
  • Popular uses: E-mail, enterprise resource planning, human resources and finance systems

A hybrid cloud typically comes in two flavors: a cloud run by agency for use by a group agencies; and an arrangement in which the underlying infrastructure or all or part of the application is hosted offsite by a public cloud provider, but more sensitive components, and sometimes the application itself, are maintained within a private cloud by the institution.

  • Pros: Speed to market; access to specialized application knowledge and high-capacity IT resources
  • Cons: Loss of control
  • Popular uses: ERP, high-performance computing, massive data storage and management

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