BlogData centres
On-premises, hosted or hybrid: where should your systems run?
By Vicky Ogola, Senior ICT Consultant 1 min read
Data location, latency, existing hardware, skills and cost all point in different directions. Most organisations end up with a mix.
There is no single right answer to where business systems should run. The decision depends on each system's requirements.
Reasons to keep systems on premises
- Data must stay on site for regulatory, contractual or policy reasons.
- Staff on site need fast access to large files or real-time systems.
- Equipment is connected locally — laboratory instruments, cameras, weighbridges.
- Existing servers still have useful life.
Reasons to use hosting
- Public websites and portals that must be reachable from anywhere.
- Off-site backups and disaster recovery.
- Systems used mostly by people outside the office.
- Avoiding the cost of power, cooling and space for a few servers.
Hybrid is common
Many organisations run core systems on premises and use hosted servers for websites, email, backups and recovery. The important part is designing how the two connect — secure links, identity and backups across both.
Decide system by system
List each system with its users, data sensitivity, availability needs and integrations, then decide where it belongs.
We design on-premises data centres and hosting through MavenHost.
About the author
Vicky Ogola
Senior ICT Consultant
Vicky Ogola writes about network design, connectivity, data centres and the infrastructure that business systems depend on.