The security concerns plaguing the cloud appear to have disappeared or become a non-factor as many companies look to embrace the technology. The issue is no longer whether a company should adopt cloud computing, but more aptly, what kind of cloud does it need.

When selecting a cloud option, companies should look at the investment as they would any new technology, IT Business Edge reports. Before deciding to implement either a private, public or hybrid cloud, businesses should evaluate their needs to determine which option fits their processes best.

Private clouds are hosted in-house, meaning a company owns all of the network infrastructure and architecture. Many companies prefer to have complete control over their systems and will choose this option. Typically, they will seek out the assistance of a cloud integrator to help them acclimate to the new technology.

Companies with copious amounts of IT resources may choose to build a private cloud, usually upon existing infrastructure, allowing them to save money. For small- to medium-sized businesses without an abundance of resources, private clouds can be too costly for implementation.

Of the three options, private clouds offer the most security and reliability, as they enable IT leaders to have increased oversight and control over various security features, the report relays. In addition, as business employees are in charge of running the infrastructure, they can ensure government compliance.

Public clouds are a more logical solution for smaller companies. With a public setup, companies outsource their entire infrastructure, including storage and network, to a cloud provider. Typically, businesses will use various services offered by the provider on a pay-as-you-go system, allowing them to scale up and down depending on their needs. Data is stored online and can generally be accessed remotely by employees from any internet-connected device.

Those who choose to implement a public cloud infrastructure pay no upfront costs, making it a useful trial for smaller companies that are hesitant about the cloud. By paying only for services and products that they need, if a business project doesn’t get off the ground or if it finishes, an organization doesn’t have large amounts of debt from unused expenditures.

Although public clouds can save companies a lot of money, they do have some drawbacks, which include more disruptions. Business IT Edge compares a private cloud with a personal car and the public cloud with public transportation; the latter is shared by more individuals and thus, has potential for more problems.

Many companies will overlook the occasional disruption, if it means cutting their budgets by significant numbers. Similarly, finding a vendor that offers the best security options available makes the cost-savings even more appealing.

The benefits of both setups have become appealing to numerous organizations, which is why many have adopted a hybrid model to experience more of the cloud’s strengths and fewer of its weaknesses. Business IT Edge writes, in some cases, it may “be easier to run a hybrid system than to specialize toward an exclusively private or public cloud.” One option a company may choose is to store digital archives in a less-expensive public cloud, but place important valuable customer and employee information in a private cloud. Using a hybrid approach offers companies improved flexibility and reduced costs, while not forcing them to sacrifice on oversight and control.

The success of all three models is highlighted in a myriad of recently released reports that have forecasted the cloud computing industry to grow during the next four years. IDC recently reported the worldwide SaaS market will be worth $40.5 billion by 2014.ADNFCR-2553-ID-19921253-ADNFCR