Cloud

As cloud computing gains more traction, many people have heard about direct cloud connections. Having a direct connection between your business’s network and the cloud can offer some many benefits, but there are some cons that you should still be aware of.

In this article, we’ll share some of the top pros and cons we’ve identified when working with a direct cloud connection. By taking our advice from our experiences, we hope to help you make more informed decisions regarding your business’s network and cloud computing solutions.

Pros of Having a Direct Cloud Connection

There are many pros of having a direct cloud connection between your organization’s network and your cloud service(s). Here are just three of the top reasons why having a direct cloud connection can be so beneficial.

1. It Can Save You Money

In many cases, having a direct cloud connection can help save you money over time. Many cloud services let you put your data into the cloud for free, but charge high fees for taking any data out of the cloud later on.

Having a direct cloud connection can help you avoid these egress fees, as your connection will bypass the public internet, which is what usually results in these charges. Depending on how much you plan to take out of the cloud over time, this can help you minimize egress charges, which can help you save money.

It can also help you save money by reducing or eliminating data transfer costs. Using the public internet often results in a charge for having to transfer data over the internet. Using a private, dedicated connection eliminates these charges, as you only have to pay for the direct connection itself.

By using a direct cloud connection, your data will remain as safe and secure as possible during transfers. Pexels

2. It Provides Higher Data Security

Did you know using a direct cloud connection can help keep your data safer than with other data transfer methods? The public internet is highly susceptible to cybersecurity threats such as hacking and viruses, which can result in your sensitive data getting stolen, exposed, or damaged.

Some people may choose to use a virtual private network (VPN) to avoid this issue, but even VPNs aren’t completely foolproof. Direct connections tend to have an added layer of encryption than VPN, making it safer to use.

Having a completely private, direct connection with your cloud is the best way to keep your data safe and secure from prying eyes.

3. It Gives You Better Network Performance

Finally, direct cloud connections give you better network performance in several ways.

Network performance without a direct connection can be extremely poor, especially if your existing network doesn’t have the bandwidth to support the complexities of a growing cloud system.

With a direct connection, you’ll have more reliable and predictable network performance, as it won’t be subject to the congestion you would otherwise experience using the public internet. This means you’ll experience less latency and faster response times, so you don’t have to wait all day for that one file to finally download.

This speed can really help your business, as employees can respond to customers more quickly and efficiently when they have the network support needed to do their jobs well.

Cons of Having a Direct Cloud Connection

Just like anything else, there are some potential cons for having a direct connection with your cloud computing. Here are just a few of the main ones.

You’ll have to pay for some equipment and technological infrastructure up-front if your business isn’t already set up for a direct cloud connection. Pexels

1. Higher Initial Costs

While having a direct cloud connection can help you save money on egress fees and data transfer fees in the long run, setting up this connection can cost more up-front. This is usually because setting up a direct connection requires some equipment and infrastructure you may not have from the start.

You may have to purchase network hardware such as routers in addition to your actual computers, and you’ll also have to budget for proper installation and configuration of the cloud connection.

Because of these costs, some smaller businesses may not be able to afford setting up a direct cloud connection from the very start.

2. Increased Maintenance and Management

To use a direct cloud connection properly, you’ll have to maintain and monitor it regularly.

This typically means keeping up with infrastructure needs such as updating software or replacing old equipment that no longer works. It could also mean keeping up with uptime and any technological issues that arise as you and your employees navigate using the cloud.

If you’re not an expert in cloud services, this may mean paying more to your cloud provider to have an expert available to assist at all times, or it could mean hiring an individual with cloud experience privately to manage your cloud and data.

3. Limitations in Some Service Providers

The third con of using a direct cloud connection is the limitations some service providers have.

Because all businesses are completely unique, they all have individual goals that cloud service providers try to meet. For extremely large businesses spread across several locations, scaling this cloud infrastructure could quickly become complex and time-consuming.

Depending on how much you invest in this infrastructure up-front, you may be less able to adapt and scale your network connectivity later on, which can lead to further challenges in your business.

Final Thoughts

Direct cloud connections can offer several advantages, such as potential cost savings, improved data security, and more efficient network performance. By bypassing the public internet, many businesses can avoid those pesky data transfer fees and egress fees, so you can save money in the long run.

While these are certainly some great pros, direct connections also require professionals who are able to manage and monitor the system, which may be hard to come by depending on your budget and location. You’ll also likely have to cough up some serious cash up front, so you can invest in the technology infrastructure you need for a direct connection to happen.

Just like with any other big business decision, you have to weigh the pros and cons before making a choice about your organization’s cloud connection. As long as you consider your business’s personal needs and goals, you can determine which cloud connectivity solution is best for you.

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