Cloud Storage vs. Local Storage: Which Storage Solution is the Best for Your Business? – Enterprise Storage Forum

If we had to define the most common question we get asked, it would be: Which storage solution is best for my business? Businesses have been asking us this since cloud storage became feasible and affordable for small businesses. Unfortunately, it doesnt have an easy answer. Or, at the very least, it doesnt have an easy answer at the level of your whole business.

In reality, virtually every business out there makes use of both types of storage, at least to some degree. The formal name for this approach is hybrid storage, though most companies using it wouldnt use the term for the now-mundane mix of public cloud storage, on-device temporary storage, and long-term hard drive backups.

Nevertheless, for those new to the subject or those who need a quick refresher course, its possible to quickly summarize the differences between these types of storage.

Generally speaking, local storage is defined as data that you store on-premises. This includes every flash, hard, or backup drive you have, no matter how small; the hard drive in your personal laptop (or even on your phone) is technically local storage if you are taking it into work.

Local storage is great in some ways, and not so good in others.

Also read: Top NAS Storage Devices for 2021

Cloud storage is a type of storage where your data is not stored in your own servers, but instead you access files and programs over an internet connection. In slightly more technical terms, its when you access any information stored in a datacenter via the internet.

You can check out our guides to how cloud storage works if you want to know more, but for most small business owners there is a more important question: Is cloud storage worth the cost?

Also read: Best Cloud Storage for Business & Enterprise 2021

because you are limited by the speed of your internet connection. While you are only likely to notice this if you are transferring large amounts of data, it can be an issue in growing businesses.

As you can see from the lists above, both types of storage have pros and cons. Most businesses make use of both simultaneously, mixing local storage of critical, high security files with cloud servers that allow staff remote access to the data they use everyday.

In short, if you are not already using cloud storage for at least a portion of your storage needs, you should know that it will more than likely save your business significant costs.

Read next: Best Hybrid Cloud Storage Vendors & Software 2021

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Cloud Storage vs. Local Storage: Which Storage Solution is the Best for Your Business? - Enterprise Storage Forum

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