Cloud Infrastructure
Move to the cloud on purpose, not by accident.
Cloud can reduce hardware headaches and support growth, but costs and complexity can rise quickly without a plan. We help you decide what belongs in the cloud, what should stay on-premises or in a data center, and which suppliers can manage it.
What to evaluate
Cloud Infrastructure, in practical terms.
- Public and private cloud hosting
- Hybrid cloud
- Cloud migration planning
- Infrastructure modernization
- Direct cloud connectivity
- Managed cloud services
The right fit
Who should consider it?
- Businesses with aging servers
- Companies with unpredictable cloud bills
- Organizations running line-of-business applications on-premises
- Teams lacking cloud expertise in-house
Business objectives
What a well-scoped solution can support.
- A workload-by-workload plan
- Predictable operating costs
- Less dependence on aging hardware
- Defined responsibility for management and support
These are evaluation objectives, not promised results. Scope and performance depend on supplier agreements and implementation.
Compare before committing
Alternatives & tradeoffs
| Approach | Often best for | What to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Public cloud | Elastic or modern applications | Costs need governance; skills required |
| Private/hosted cloud | Predictable workloads, more control | Less elastic; longer commitments |
| Hybrid | Mixed legacy and modern systems | More moving parts to manage |
Buying checklist
Questions worth asking.
- 01Which applications are hardest to move, and why?
- 02Who will manage the environment after migration?
- 03How will you get data back out if you change providers?
- 04What is the connectivity plan between sites and the cloud?
Clear answers
Frequently asked questions
When does colocation make sense instead of cloud?
Colocation often makes sense when you own hardware with useful life remaining, run steady workloads with predictable resource needs, have licensing or compliance reasons to control physical systems, or need specific connectivity. Cloud often makes sense for variable workloads, rapid scaling or reducing hardware management. Many businesses use both.
Is the cloud always cheaper?
No. Cloud turns capital purchases into operating costs and can reduce maintenance, but poorly managed environments can cost more than on-premises systems. A workload assessment helps decide where each system belongs.
Practical buying guides
Explore the decision in depth.
Connected decisions
Related technology solutions
Connectivity & Networking
Internet, fiber, SD-WAN, SASE and failover for one site or hundreds.
Data Centers & Colocation
Colocation, rack space, power and data center connectivity.
Backup & Disaster Recovery
Managed backup, cloud backup, business continuity and DRaaS.
Technology guidance by Duncan Smith · Supplier-specific capabilities must be confirmed during evaluation.
Your next move
Plan your cloud strategy
Tell us what’s changing. We’ll help you evaluate what comes next.