On-premise vs. cloud network access and monitoring

On-premises network with on-prem monitoring software, or cloud-based network access, monitoring and management?  When deciding between on-premises and cloud solutions, leading IT professionals must carefully weigh the pros and cons.

There are benefits and drawbacks to both cloud and on-premises network monitoring.

Cloud-based network monitoring
If you depend on CRM software, marketing automation solutions and a digital-first footprint for your company, deploying in the cloud can save you an enormous amount of money in regard to on-prem allocation, and your monitoring solution can be cloud-based as well, giving you enormous flexibility and ability to scale without extensive CAPEX. Cloud applications are also extremely easy to set up and configure, and your managed services provider (MSP) also acts as your IT team, taking care of all the back-end details and setup. Then you simply enable access on your devices and deploy your employees or agents.

Another advantage to cloud-based networks and monitoring is that managing your solution over time just became simpler. If and when the latest software upgrades or versions come out, your MSP will handle your upcoming migration, and will also be supplying all hardware resources to support the product. This alone makes cloud-based network monitoring very cost-effective. You'll also benefit form the mobility and flexibility to check in on performance from anywhere and any time on any connected device.  

Unfortunately, many companies are still afraid of security issues when it comes to cloud-based networks and monitoring, and for that reason will refuse to utilize cloud network monitoring solutions. While it is true that when your monitoring takes place in the cloud, you must relinquish some control of your data, most cloud solutions are as robust when it comes to security as on-prem. There is a risk that if your MSP's systems are breached, your data could be exposed. But research from Explicity reveals that the public cloud is now considered as safe if not more safe than on-premise networking.

Cloud security is now as secure as or more secure than on-premise.

On-premises network monitoring
According to Akamai, an on-premises network is a network within the organization that can be securely accessed by only the employees; a corporate IT network. Monitoring such a network is typically done on-prem as well, for the same reasons the company hasn't shifted to the cloud: lack of buy-in, distrust or heavy investment in existing on-prem. By keeping network monitoring on-premises, you have a higher level of control than with a cloud-based solution. Your in-house IT professionals may prefer to keep network monitoring software on-premises, so they can personally configure solutions to exactly match your needs, and monitor in real time.

Drawbacks of on-prem solutions include the additional cost, thought and time that go into installation and configuration. If you can't afford a full time IT department, costs for IT on a freelance basis can add up and leave you floundering in off hours when you desperately need monitoring support to deal with an issue but can't get anyone in to help. If many of your employees work remotely, including yourself, you may also find issues with being able to access your on-prem solutions without jumping through a lot of hoops and opening up many nodes of vulnerability that compromise your security protocols due to additional exceptions.

There are tradeoffs, but in either case, you'll still need networking and connectivity equipment, whether you stay on-prem or move monitoring and management to the cloud. Perle delivers top of the line solutions: read our customer success stories to learn more.