In business, there is a delicate balance that must be struck between chasing trends and recognizing long-term advancements. You don’t want to look back and regret sinking way too much time and money into the IT equivalent of Beanie Babies, after all.
When it comes to migrating to the Cloud and making the most of the benefits that comes with that migration, time has shown that it is a solid move. And in order to optimize your Cloud usage, you need to take a close look at Oracle Cloud.
Oracle has been climbing the charts of Cloud infrastructure service providers for several years, and there are a few reasons for that. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) creates a habitat that smoothly interfaces with other major applications, productivity tools, and industry-specific software.
But just how can Oracle’s Cloud offerings benefit your company? What makes the Oracle Cloud into a superior choice? Why should you use Oracle?
Offerings as a Service
Oracle Cloud business tools are offered as services to their client base. That means Oracle utilizes subscription payment structures to deliver their products and ensure that their solutions are scalable and agile.
The three Cloud related services are infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, and software as a service. Each service builds on the others to create a total picture of what you can get with the Oracle Cloud.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Maintaining a localized data center can take up a great deal of your IT team’s time. By providing the benefits of a data center via the internet, the Oracle Cloud frees up your staff to address issues faced by other team members and departments without overloading their bandwidth.
So what exactly do you get with an IaaS license? Basically, you get everything you would get from a localized data center except it is run and maintained by Oracle. That means you get networking, storage, computing power, and so forth without needing to maintain the hardware necessary to provide those things yourself.
That Oracle infrastructure then serves as the base for the other major service offerings that factor into the Oracle Cloud.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Oracle’s PaaS offerings build on their IaaS by adding more Cloud functionalities. Cloud platforms allow users to develop applications for use within your infrastructure as well as access different databases and operating systems and so forth.
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) creates an environment that facilitates seamless integration of the custom apps that you develop through your PaaS license.
And since these services are provided through the internet, you can adjust your payments for them based on the volume of use your organization requires. That means these services are scalable and cost-effective.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
When you pick up a subscription to an application that is patched and updated by a Cloud provider, that is engaging in SaaS. Often, these will be enterprise applications such as a CRM or document management software.
One of the benefits of SaaS applications that are integrated with the Oracle Cloud is that you can access your content from anywhere and, in many cases, through mobile apps. This allows your team to operate in-office, from home, or from anywhere else they may find themselves.
Cloud-based SaaS offerings, along with IaaS and PaaS packages, ensure that your team can operate at maximum efficiency, no matter where they are. And by layering all of these Oracle services together, you ensure that they will all work seamlessly because they all come from the same source.
Understanding the Different Clouds
In order to optimize your Oracle Cloud services, you need to know what kind of Cloud best suits your needs. Because, contrary to what some people may think, there are different kinds of Clouds that you can use in your business operations.
The Public Cloud
The first subtype of Cloud is the public Cloud. With a public Cloud, more than one business or organization operates on a Cloud server. The subscription fee that you pay for this kind of Cloud will factor in your required standards for things like availability and speed and performance.
The subscribing organizations do not have to deal with the burden of maintenance or upkeep on things like security updates and the data center and infrastructure are also maintained by the Cloud service provider.
The Private Cloud
In contrast to public Cloud services, a private Cloud is hosted on a dedicated section of a provider’s computing resources. So instead of sharing a Cloud server, you have a server of your own.
Private Clouds are often utilized by organizations that require extra security to protect confidential information. A private Cloud also allows for greater customization for your data requirements and performance needs.
A private Cloud can be more difficult to scale up because you are using dedicated server space provided by your vendor—so to scale up, you need to pay for more private computing capacity.
The Hybrid Cloud
Combining the benefits of public and private Clouds, hybrid Clouds can, on occasion, also be configured to include access to your own on-premises data centers. Basically, a hybrid Cloud system is the most flexible and customizable option.
With a hybrid Cloud structure, you can keep sensitive, internal data in your private Cloud space while outward facing functions can operate from a public Cloud. Public functions can include content generated in cooperation with a partner or vendor such as a contract that is being negotiated and signed electronically.
Because a hybrid Cloud incorporates different data centers and security protocols, it is very important that you plan out your infrastructure, workflows, and data storage procedures carefully and thoroughly so that the content that you need to keep private is stored in the correct Cloud space.
Oracle Cloud Benefits
With the understanding of the different Cloud structures and services that make up the Oracle Cloud, we can look at how those structures and services can benefit your organization.
Some of the most apparent Oracle Cloud benefits are the ability to access your data and content from anywhere in the world and on any device as well as centralized security that protects your information from unauthorized eyes.
What many people don’t realize right away is that putting IaaS services into play allows you to get rid of a lot of redundant hardware. Think about everything you need to run your own data center and how much real estate that equipment takes up—then think about how you could use that space and the fiscal savings more efficiently.
By combining the power of PaaS and SaaS services, Oracle Cloud also helps you implement new applications quickly. Whether you are developing custom apps or incorporating new productivity tools to facilitate your team’s work, you can get those apps up and running across your organization without adding new hardware or running your IT team ragged.
Utilizing the Cloud also helps protect your content from localized disasters. If your main office catches fire or a tornado or hurricane runs through your city, you won’t lose valuable content from your on-premises servers.
Another benefit of the Oracle Cloud is that your team always has access to the most up-to-date information. As your teams negotiate contracts or compile reports and analyses, you can stay abreast of what is happening—leading to better informed decisions and more accurate, up-to-the-minute business insights.
And these benefits are just the start. As you tailor your services to your needs and configure your Cloud to suit your organization, the benefits will stack and scale. By embracing the Cloud, you give your team a wide variety of pathways to follow to success.
The Best Time to Migrate is Now
With all the benefits that the Cloud can bring your organization, it behooves you to get as much information about upgrading and optimizing your technology infrastructure as you can. And working with Oracle Cloud certified experts will ensure that your migration goes as smoothly as possible.
At TEAM IM, our history working with Oracle and helping our partners migrate their data into Cloud environments efficiently and accurately makes us an ideal resource to facilitate your technological upgrades.
Oracle Cloud offers an environment that allows you to make the most of every dollar you invest in your tech solutions. The Cloud allows you to address your current needs while laying flexible groundwork to scale up alongside your company’s growth.
Reach out to TEAM IM today and get your head in the Cloud where it belongs.
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