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There are many options on the market for wireless management in the cloud, and, like anything else, the pros and cons are dependent on your use case. Cloud Wireless management is the ability to have a single pane of glass management of all your wireless access points, and in some cases switches, from a single centralized location.
This functionality is especially advantageous in the case you have small networks distributed across a lot of physical locations. An example would be a Starbucks franchise offering guest wireless to patrons. Each store would have one or two access points and there could be 50 stores, cloud management platforms can be a very powerful tool for this use case.
What about a medical campus? In many cases, hospitals are supporting not only the internal infrastructure but also the medical centers throughout the surrounding county. There is a lot of data exchange between a hospital and the surrounding medical community. Due to HIPAA concerns the hospital may not want a pure cloud-based solution but rather a private cloud. In this case, the hospital would create its instance of management to support a single pane of glass management for the whole county. Each medical center would be connected to the hospital and their wireless cloud infrastructure managed from there.
With cloud computing platforms in general, there are pros and cons to each of these options for wireless. The clear benefit is no need for your own infrastructure to support a large computing environment. However, if you are already running a large compute environment, your own private cloud may be more of interest. You control your own environment vs. relying on someone else’s. Most wireless controllers will have a per access point (and or switch) recurring cost associated. This cost is generally higher than if you were to license and support that infrastructure in your private cloud.
For some companies, the cloud can be intimidating and complex, and you may be considering using a cloud computing platform to help manage it for your organization. With this there can come the worry of trusting a service to secure your company’s infrastructure. On the flip side, a cloud computing platform may seem like the easiest route. Either way, your organization should be well aware of the advantages and disadvantages when using a cloud computing platform.
The main reason companies switch to a cloud platform is because it’s the most proactive way to improve their team’s performance. But how? Cloud computing platforms create an online network where businesses can access information anywhere with any compatible device. Rather than storing information on your computer or a server in your office, cloud computing stores data on the internet.
When using the cloud, teams can work together on a project at the same time, without a formal meeting. In a world where the number of remote workers is rapidly increasing, users can collaborate from wherever they are. A cloud platform allows everyone the ability to access the same files and edit them in real-time.
Real-time collaboration also promotes an organized platform, where teams can customize their applications available to suit their needs. Files can be moved in real-time, maintaining oversight and administrative control of cloud computing products and services.
With cloud computing, you pay for what you use. Pay-as-you-go cloud computing is a payment method for cloud computing that charges based on usage. When you have your private platform, you may not know what services you’ll need, but you’ll probably still have to pay for all of them.
Instead of waiting for your IT team to update your private network every so often, cloud computing platforms automatically update. This not only saves you time but also saves you money and personnel needed for one platform.
Despite the many advantages of cloud computing, it is not without its issues. Your company should also be well aware of some of the issues that may come when using a cloud computing platform.
Security may, or may not be an issue on your cloud computing platform. For the most part, most cloud computing services are reliable and secure. But when you use a non-reputable service, you risk data leakage, account or service hijacking, insecure interfaces, and technology vulnerabilities, especially in shared environments. This is not saying if you use a cloud computing service that you’re going to get hacked, but it’s important to know how reputable and secure your provider is before sharing your data.
While your company may have control over your applications, data, and services, the cloud is owned, managed, and monitored by the service provider. As the customer, you cannot control any part of the backend infrastructure, such as server shell access, updating, and firmware management.
While this may seem like an intimidating factor, a cloud provider’s end-user license agreement (EULA) and management policies lay out everything you need to know before committing to a provider’s cloud. More than often, you’ll find the control limitations you have as a customer.
Internet Connection
On a private cloud, you have access to your documents at any time, but on a public cloud, a secure internet connection is required. For most, this isn’t a concern. But with a weak internet connection, the cloud will be difficult to access. There’s also the issue of the provider having a troubling internet connection internally. The weakness of a public cloud not only disconnects the cloud computing platform but also increases the risk of data leakage due to the vulnerable cloud.
There are many pros and cons to using a public cloud computing service. You might be asking yourself, how do I know if I should use a public or private cloud? There’s no simple answer. It’s important to know the advantages and disadvantages of a public cloud before making a decision. Beginning with a cost-benefit analysis would be an excellent place to start. Any public cloud service will try to sell you their platform, rightfully. That’s why you should do your research on a service provider before committing long-term. You can always contact the IDTech team with any questions you may have.
