Research shows that the global cloud computing market will reach $266 billion in December 2020. It has been estimated that over 67% of companies and businesses will use cloud infrastructure by the end of 2020. Most companies in the world are already using cloud technology for data storage and processing purposes.
This shows the significance of cloud computing in the business world. Do you know about the public and private cloud or the difference between them? In today’s article, we will focus on differentiating between public and private clouds. Read on!
Table of Contents
What is Public Cloud?
In general, the public cloud refers to the type of computing or storage services that are available to the public online. In simple words, the public cloud allows users to access resources through the internet. For instance, these resources are storage, application, and virtual machines.
What is a Private Cloud?
Unlike a public cloud, a private cloud is computing resources that are not readily available to the public through the internet. Private cloud focuses on the provision of services via a private network to a limited number of users. That’s why private cloud follows conventional data center ownership, staffing, and management.
Public Cloud vs. Private Cloud
Now that you have come to know about the public and private cloud, let us make things easier for you by giving you some examples. Some of the most common and popular examples of public cloud solutions are Amazon, Google, Microsoft, etc.
It is a type of service that makes available the infrastructure and service to the public through the internet. Because it is a public cloud service, it does not means a threat to the public’s information. For example, you use Gmail and Yahoo Mail, which have substantial security protocols.
On the other hand, a private cloud provides a unique cloud environment for a company that controls the software or app through internal IT. Some of the most prominent examples of a private cloud are Dell, Oracle, Cisco, IBM, and VMware.
When it comes to choosing the best cloud for your business, it all depends on your preferences and goals. If you choose the public cloud, it will save you a lot of money because there is no involvement of capital investments.
You won’t have to purchase the space or equipment to house the public cloud. At the same time, there is no need to pay for maintenance and upgrades. All this is managed and handled by your service provider. So, you will have to pay a fixed amount of money while subscribing to the service.
In contrast, if you choose a private cloud service, you will also get numerous benefits. There are flexibility, better control, and management, as well as security and cost savings. However, with a private cloud, your company will have to build and maintain servers to meet the demands across different company divisions.
 Public Cloud |
Private Cloud |
| Multi-tenancy | Single tenancy |
| Public Data Center by Service Provider | Internal Network and Data Center |
| Management by Cloud Service Provider (CSP) | Internal Cloud Service Management |
| Hardware and servers managed by CSP | Internal Physical servers |
| Affordable | Expensive |
Final Words
If you are a startup organization, we recommend you to choose a public cloud service for your data storage. Public cloud services are available at the most affordable services. However, if you want to use a fast, reliable, and more efficient cloud, then go for a private one. Your own network servers will help maintain higher efficiency and productivity. Lastly, the selection of any of these services is based on your company goals.
