Bioprocess software: On-premise or cloud computing?

You want bioprocess software for your company. You have to make a crucial decision: should you pick a cloud-hosted service or a locally-hosted solution? 

There are benefits and disadvantages to both platforms. Discussion about the superiority and the security concerns of one over the other is ongoing. But what works the best for you?

Cloud Computing

You store and access data, programs, and applications over the internet. Cloud computing provides you with flexibility. Cloud computing is very cost-efficient for your IT. You do not have to think about maintenance, implementation, and upgrade – the cloud computing provider is doing it for you.

• Storage: Storage is almost unlimited. You do not need to worry about increasing your current storage space.
• Backup: Backup and Recovery: Once you upload your data, storing and backing it up happens simultaneously.
• Customizability: Cloud computing allows you to customize your options with great ease. You can handpick just those services and software applications that you think work best.
• Deployment: Most importantly, you benefit from quick deployment. If you choose cloud computing, your system is up and running within minutes.

But what about the drawbacks? Do you think of IP issues of your stored data in the cloud? As a company, you should ensure that you and no one else owns the data you upload. So you should check where it is stored physically.

On-premises software

You store and access data, programs, and applications from your computer’s hard drive or a server somewhere in the building (=on-premise). Your IT actively supports the software. Your IT is responsible for implementation, operation, and uptime, and the data is on your hardware.

There are benefits, but this comes at a cost:

Security

Most security breaches happen as a result of the actions of employees. A security breach can take a long time for you as a company to discover. Take care if you deploy on-premise software on your own hardware. You are in charge of ensuring physical access protection. This reduces the risk of malicious actions of employees.

You are in charge of keeping your systems secure. Especially for small companies, ask yourself: Can I provide the necessary security measures? If not, give cloud computing a second thought.

Investment in hardware

On-premise systems are more expensive to implement. You will need to buy hardware, servers, and software.

Investment in running costs

On-premise systems have higher running costs. You will need to pay your experienced IT staff to keep the system secure and for maintenance and upgrade.

Summary

Cloud computing is cheap, flexible, and up and running in minutes. Good cloud service providers have security in mind. With cloud providers, check where and how cloud providers store the data. Check that you own the data you upload. Check uptimes.

On-premise gives you control of your data on your hardware. Check your internal processes. Check your own IT security standards. You are in charge.

Data Security: There is no clear winner. Analyze the cloud provider you want to work with. Challenge your IT to reduce the risk of security breaches. Calculate the running costs of your on-premise option. Calculate the money you would save opting for cloud computing. Are the increased costs worth having the data on your hardware? Can your IT provide the necessary security measures? Then take a decision that works for you. 

PAS-X Savvy bioprocess software. Lightning-fast data management and data analytics for bioprocesses. PAS-X Savvy software is available as an on-premise and cloud-based solution. Contact us for more information.