Public vs. Private Cloud: The Best Cloud Migration Strategy for Key Vancouver Industries

Summary:

• Public cloud environments are cheaper and faster to deploy, but offer less control over the environment itself. Private cloud is more secure and almost infinitely customizable, but costs more upfront and takes longer to set up.

• In finance, healthcare, construction, retail, and other highly sensitive industries, cloud setups must be designed around workflows, risks, and compliance needs. Cookie-cutter solutions are almost never the right fit.

• Hybrid cloud environments give you the best of both worlds: control over sensitive data and easy access to programs, tools, and data. It can also be more costly and complex to configure or maintain over time.

• To transition into the cloud smoothly, spend the first few weeks examining your workflows and setting goals. Getting expert advice is the best way to prepare for a migration without disrupting day-to-day operations.

Cloud migration is much more than a tech trend. With the right strategy, it can help your teams and people access the tools, data, and systems they need from anywhere without putting sensitive data at risk.

Here in Vancouver, businesses have two main options for migrating into the cloud: public or private. Below, we’ll walk you through the pros and cons of each option and tell you how to develop a cloud strategy for success before making the switch.

Pros and Cons of Public vs. Private Cloud

Cost, security, and scalability are the three biggest tradeoffs between public and private cloud environments. Let’s take a look at what you get with each option:

Public Cloud Services

Providers like these rent out space on shared servers that typically have their own tools. Their relative lack of complexity can seem like a selling point for businesses that have never done cloud migration before—but they often fall short on customization and scalability.

Common examples include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

Pros:

• Lower upfront costs. Like shared web hosting you aren’t paying a premium for hardware, maintenance, and solution development. That’s great if you don’t need it.

• On-demand scalability. Public providers like AWS and Azure are huge—and that means adding more equipment is simple. They have equipment at the ready at all times, which means scaling is often as easy as clicking a button.

• Faster, easier deployments Since the infrastructure itself is already built and in place, it’s easy to make changes and add services. Move things around, roll out a new environment, or deploy an add-on in seconds—no muss, no fuss.

• Special benefits for startups and SMBs. Public cloud services do the heavy IT lifting for you so you don’t need to hire an in-house team, which can make it easier to adopt new technology. But here’s a secret—you can get the same or even better results from us.

Cons:

• Shared infrastructure is inherently riskier. Your account is secure, but you can’t control the server environment itself or the IT team that manages it. This can quickly become a compliance and performance nightmare for some industries.

• Data residency isn’t always straightforward. Need your data stored in Canada or the US to comply with PIPEDA or PHIPA? With a public cloud, you won’t always have a choice—or even know where the server is in the first place.

• Vendor lock-in. Public cloud providers make it dead simple to get started. But they may also lock you into long contracts that make it impossible to leave.

If you go with this option, be sure to do your research and read all the fine print on the contract before you sign it. Be especially skeptical about any provider who dodges your questions, keeps changing the topic, or rushes you to make a decision.

Private Cloud Services

Private cloud environments are fully customized to the business and are typically deployed on dedicated hardware. They offer unique benefits you won’t get from public clouds and may even come with Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS) if you want your own servers on-site.

Pros: 

• Complete control over customization. Businesses maintain full authority over their infrastructure and have the right to adjust it at any time. This makes it easier to respond to changing needs.

• Enhanced security and compliance. With private clouds, the risk for intrusion attempts is inherently lower because the environment is isolated. It’s also easier to add guardrails to prevent leaks or compliance issues out of the gate.

• Predictable pricing. The cost for public cloud services can fluctuate significantly year-to-year, but private clouds stay relatively consistent until you make changes.

• Consistent performance. You’re the only client using the server, so another customer’s usage patterns can’t cause slowdowns or crashes.

• Seamless integration with legacy systems. Private cloud environments can be integrated with almost any new or old technology. This can take a bit more talent, effort, skill, and time, but the outcome is usually worth the wait.

The need for a bigger upfront investment shouldn’t automatically be considered a red flag here. You get more value for your money when you develop a custom private cloud.

Read More: How to Develop an IT Strategy For Your Business

What We Recommend For Specific Industries

Every client we work with has their own unique needs, but the operational challenges they face often come from the industry they work in. Construction firms like Ledcor won’t have the same needs as a healthcare clinic like CarePoint or a fintech startup like Koho.

This is exactly why cookie-cutter solutions are the wrong approach. All clients deserve a thoughtfully-chosen, well-developed cloud solution that meets their needs—but if you’re in one of the following industries, general advice will never be enough.

Finance

Canada tightly regulates the finance industry on the federal and provincial level. Banks like RBC and VanCity, investment firms like Odlum Brown, and credit card companies like Mastercard need cloud environments that keep them compliant and in control.

Learn more: IT solutions for finance industry businesses.

The biggest takeaway for finance is that all migrations must be handled with care and precision. We recommend:

• Going with a private cloud provider so the company can help build in the controls you need to meet strict standards, like PIPEDA and PCI-DSS.

• Maintain your data sovereignty by only working with providers who will host your data here on home soil—and won’t export it without letting you know.

• Developing secure, auditable systems that make it easy to see who accesses sensitive data like customer records, financial transactions, and analytics.

• Build custom integrations to pull in data from legacy platforms, like COBOL-based banking systems, without putting data at risk.

The fact that finance is a “Your Money, Your Life” industry means that even a minor breach or leak can have real, immediate consequences on your business and your customers. Look for private cloud solutions that come with the option of cybersecurity support so that you can avoid vulnerabilities in your IT environment.

Healthcare

St. Paul’s Hospital, Spring Medical Centre, CityMed, Carewell Clinics—healthcare facilities like these need fast, reliable access to patient data to heal and save lives. Migrating into the cloud can help, but not if they put patient privacy at risk. 

It only takes one inappropriate access to trigger a class action lawsuit that leaves lasting reputational damage. We recommend:

• Keeping data on home soil at all times. Under Ontario’s PHIPA, personal health data must remain in Canada unless the patient has explicitly consented to its transfer.

• Setting up role-based access controls. Doctors, nurses, administrators, and other care providers are only allowed to access files if they have a good reason. Having the right guardrails in place helps uphold this rule.

• Baking unskippable audit trails in. You need to be able to see exactly who accessed a patient’s file, when they accessed it, and why—no exceptions. 

• Apply end-to-end encryption. All data must be fully encrypted both in transit and at rest. Ask about TLS 1.2+, HL7 over HTTPS, MLLP with VPN, and AES-256.

Revotech has the experience to build healthcare industry cloud solutions that help carers work more efficiently and effectively. But we can also help you develop a system that protects patient privacy instead of putting it at risk.

Construction & Architecture

Collaboration is the name of the game in construction, engineering, and architecture. Firms like Ledcor, Stantec, and HCMA often work across job sites and share massive design files, so cloud solutions need to be reliable, scalable, and flexible, too.

The good news is that SaaS tools like AutoCAD, Revit, or BIM 3600 already run in the cloud, which actually makes migrating into the cloud easier. We also recommend:

• Leveraging public cloud platforms. Use them to track project management, share or work on designs, and collaborate from any location.

• Making scalability a priority. Projects can change on a dime and often come without notice in construction. Plan for it in advance by building scalability in.

• Enabling real-time collaboration. In construction, one of the biggest pain points is collaborating across job sites, offices, and subcontractors. Use the cloud to connect everyone without on-premises servers or expensive VPNs.

• Taking automatic backups regularly. This will prevent data loss and keep version control intact if the connection drops or something goes awry on-site.

• Integrating mobile tools and field apps. The easier it is for teams to upload photos, drawings, updates, and reports, the more likely they are to share and collaborate.

Revotech helps support teams coordinate across the province, country, or globe without unnecessary delays. Whether your company is building new homes or just working on road repairs, cloud services can help you work together more effectively.

Manufacturing, Retail & Distribution

Running a manufacturing plant, an online store like Clearly, a brick-and-mortar shop like Lush—or juggling all three? Retail and distribution can be hectic at the best of times, but cloud infrastructure helps you stay organized, pivot on a dime, and deliver a smooth customer experience.

Public, hybrid, and private cloud environments can all benefit companies in industries like these, but the size of your business and stage of growth you’re at do matter. We recommend:

• Trying out public or hybrid cloud services first. This is a great way to support seasonal traffic spikes without overpaying for resources you don’t use year-round.

• Hosting all apps, CRM tools, and systems in the cloud. It’s easier to manage inventory, track sales, and keep everything in sync when it’s in the same environment. 

• Making customer data protection a priority. Built-in encryption, access controls, and PCI DSS infrastructure can help.

Your tech stack should be flexible enough to grow with you—not make you wait just to use features you can benefit from right now. Moving into the cloud makes this easier and helps you compete with bigger retailers so you don’t get left behind.

The Case for Hybrid Cloud Services

We’ve spent a lot of time talking about public and private cloud options—but what about hybrid environments? Where do they fit in? These solutions typically give you the control and security you can expect from private infrastructure, but are far more flexible and scalable.

Here’s how it works:

• Critical or sensitive info like financial records, patient files, legal documents, and confidential communication is stored on a private cloud server.

• Public-facing apps and data, like customer portals, booking and scheduling tools, and analytics platforms are stored on a public cloud instead.

This split mode can be a great compromise for businesses that need to protect sensitive data without sacrificing agility in the process. It’s also a smart way to manage costs, since putting public-facing apps and data on a private cloud is often wasteful.

So, why doesn’t everyone just go hybrid? Think of it like trying to manage two separate offices at once, each of which has its own tools, rules, and workflows. They both serve a purpose, but running two separate environments at once can be stressful and complicated.

Tips For a Smooth Transition

Cloud technology began transforming the way we work almost two decades ago and it’s unlikely to stop providing value anytime soon. But picking the first service you see rushing through the transition can backfire—and lead to costly mistakes.

Here’s how to set yourself up for a smooth, successful migration:

• Assess your needs carefully. This is about more than just thinking it would be convenient to store data in the cloud. Think about your existing infrastructure, your workflows, and your compliance needs carefully before you start.

• Choose the right cloud model. Public, private, or hybrid? Think about how the benefits of each one fit with your workflows, tolerance for risk, and long-term goals.

• Work with a trusted MSP. Cloud migration isn’t just another brick in your tech stack—it’s a workflow transformation. Revotech can help you get it right.

• Think about business continuity. Plan for the worst and hope for the best by building in redundancies, regularly testing the data storage and backup process, and layering on encryption.

• Train your team and update your processes. Training is the number one barrier to technology adoption, so make sure all teams have what they need. They should understand how the cloud fits into their workflows and how to use it.

• Monitor, manage, tweak, and scale. You can’t fix what you can’t see.  Make use of data monitoring tools to track system performance, spot security threats, and respond to issues in real time. This will help you stay on top of changing business needs.

Revotech works with Vancouver businesses to manage every stage of cloud migration, from developing an initial roadmap to building a solid foundation for growth. No matter where you’re starting from, we can help you migrate into a cloud solution that fits.

Make Cloud Computing Simple With Revotech

Don’t fall for claims that cloud migration is only suitable for large enterprises or corporations with big budgets to spend. You can still benefit if you know what’s out there and how to make the most of it at your current level of growth.

Revotech helps businesses in Vancouver’s busiest and quietest industries migrate into the cloud at a level that works for them. We can design a strategy that helps you make the most of private or public cloud technology without taking unnecessary risks. 

The future is already here, so let’s make sure you have the tools to stay competitive now and in the future. Schedule an appointment with our IT experts now.