Should I setup my own dedicated servers or use the cloud?

Question: Should I setup my own dedicated servers or use the cloud?

Answer: The tech world is currently abuzz with positive, negative, and neutral news about cloud computing. Some small to medium sized businesses have successfully transitioned to it and are perfectly happy. Others are sticking with traditional dedicated hosting, whether their own data centers or someone else’s.

Cloud computing takes you a step beyond colocation or even managed hosting. The applications themselves are produced by an outside company and maintained by them. You can use and sometimes customize their applications to meet your needs. When a server needs maintenance, the cloud service takes care of it.

The possible downside is that the cloud service ultimately has control. If something goes wrong, it is out of your hands. You need to decide if you want to invest in your own hardware and software as well as technicians to maintain it, or if you want to put your trust in a third party. Either way, there are many issues to consider. Ultimately, it depends on your goals.

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