Private, Public and Hybrid Cloud – What’s The Difference?

In my recent conversation on digital transformation with Ivo Koerner, VP of IBM Systems, we examined the impact of cloud computing. We examined three models of cloud – public, private and hybrid – that organizations are adopting in order to effectively work with big data and artificial intelligence in order to drive efficiency and growth.

All three models share similarities, allowing you to store and manage large datasets and deploy advanced applications without needing to own – or even see – the infrastructure they are running on, and only paying for what you use. However, there are important differences that mean it is essential to choose the one that best fits your needs.

The term “public cloud” refers to cloud storage and compute solutions provides “as-a-service”, such as the platforms offered by tech giants including IBM, Amazon, Google and Microsoft.

Generally speaking, these provide the simplest points of entry to cloud computing for most businesses. You simply pay for the services you need and the amount of data or compute power you require, and you avoid much of the hassle that comes with setting up your own servers, software and security.

What they can lack, though, is the flexibility that comes with setting up and maintaining your own data infrastructure. This is where private cloud comes in – essentially meaning you set up your own data centers to provide the same sort of services as those available through public clouds, but specifically tailored to your own organization.

“I think we can build the same [public cloud services] in your own data center – that’s basically the private cloud. You own the asset, or the company owns the asset, but you provide the same level of service to the business. You can switch on and switch off and consume as you need,” says Ivo.

This means your own cloud can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your business. While public cloud providers are always adding new features and tools that make them suitable for an ever-growing range of tasks, they still lack the flexibility of a truly bespoke solution.

What if you want the flexibility of a private cloud with the power and simplicity of a public model? That’s where the hybrid cloud model comes in.

“What we think is going to happen – and is happening in reality today,” he continues, “Is that first of all, as a company, you will have multiple clouds.

“You’re not going to just use IBM Cloud or Microsoft Azure, most likely you will use a combination and that’s why we call it a multi-cloud environment.”

The third option – or rather, what in reality is the “third leg” of a multi-cloud approach, is hybrid cloud. And just as it sounds, this term refers to splitting your workload across a combination of infrastructures, including both proprietary and third-party solutions.

“It’s a combination of both worlds,” Ivo says – “You have workloads on your private cloud, which is your own asset, and you have [other] workloads on the public cloud.”

The reason for this is simply that different tasks and situations will require different approaches. In reality no one-size-fits-all approach is likely to efficiently meet all of your needs, particularly as your business – and the volume and variety of data you are working with – grows.

Perhaps the most pertinent example here is when you are dealing with personal or sensitive data – for example, health or social security data.