Which Is Better In Cloud Server Management? Cloud Server Or VPN?

Which Network Offers The Best Support To Remote Work Management?

A large number of workers have now undertaken remote work. The choice could be personal or they might be working for a distributed company. Many businesses, particularly the small to medium businesses are increasingly dependent on remote workers for the first time. This indicates that they are now bound to face new networking choices. One of the most crucial decisions they will have to make is whether to use cloud computing or virtual private network (VPN) for their remote workforce.

But many business owners do not have a clear idea about the meanings of each of these terms, what they provide, and the differences between them, let alone what is ideal for their company. In this article, we break down each one of the terms to guide you in choosing the one that is right for your company.

What Is The Difference Between VPN And Cloud Computing?

Although cloud computing and VPN are not opposites, they are entirely different from one another. The reason why they are discussed together in the context of remote work is that they are used to solve some similar issues. Two key factors that influence the choice are security and convenience of access.

Cloud computing refers to the sharing of computing resources mostly through a corporate provider. Rather than, for instance maintaining your own local servers, the computing will take place on third-party machines. The investments you have to make in hardware are minimal when compared to the costs of hosting your own servers but you still have the options open for accessing powerful processors and impressive storage capacity. There is appreciable scalability in case you need more or less processing or storage at any point.  As many cloud service providers assign a high priority to security, some of your burden of keeping your data secure is lifted.

A VPN is a virtual private network that provides an effective additional layer of security between the company servers and users. It is not an alternative to computing but instead a strong security method to protect your company servers, information of your users, and machines while they are outside the company’s firewall.

Which One Is Best For Your Company?

Either one or both could be the right choice you can make for your company. VPN and cloud computing aren’t mutually exclusive and we cannot also state that one is automatically superior to the other. Cloud computing is well known as a simple solution and it can contribute a lot to making remote work intuitive and streamlined. However, if you are concerned about serious security issues, you probably need a VPN. For example, a VPN can offer protection to the user’s machines from malicious activity while they use public WiFi. With the cloud computing network, your employees have to establish a connection via a portable WiFi hotspot to ensure that they remain secure.

It is important to discuss your security, network, and storage need with your IT management service or IT department. They will help you figure out the advantages of VPN and cloud computing for your organization. It is best to get an expert to make an assessment of your needs after some detailed questions about the operations, current use of data or storage, the role of the remote workforce in your organization, the software and hardware that your company currently uses and the organization’s future goals. They can explain to you in simple terms whether cloud computing or VPN will be more effective for your business.