All the ins and outs of the private cloud that matter to your organization

The benefits of a private cloud
 

Choosing a private cloud comes with several advantages. You can manage your important data in a secure environment and be in control. In a private cloud, important security aspects such as access, encryption and security can be controlled in detail and in line with your own security policy.
 

Moreover, access to the network and sensitive or business-critical data is exclusively reserved for selected users from a single business entity or organization. The result? Less risk in managing data and business-critical applications. Even from possible calamities that can occur on-premises, such as fire, water damage or (physical) data theft, you don't have to deal with them in the private cloud. Organizations within sectors such as finance, healthcare and government, where strict compliance with regulations and standards is essential, therefore benefit from using a private cloud.
 

A private cloud also offers plenty of scalability. Do you opt for IaaS? Then you quickly and effortlessly adjust the amount of resources available to meet current needs and changing requirements. Do you temporarily need more resources due to seasonal demand? Or is your organization going through a rapid growth spurt? Thanks to the private cloud, your IT environment moves effortlessly with the organization. In the blog article 'The 4 reasons why organizations should choose the private cloud' you can read more about the most important advantages of the private cloud.
 

Deploying a private cloud
 

If you are convinced of the benefits and value of a private cloud and want to use it, designing a custom IT infrastructure that meets the needs of your organization and business is the first step toward a successful implementation.
 

When choosing an appropriate cloud infrastructure, you go through several steps. These are:
 

• Selecting appropriate hardware for your private cloud environment. You need the right routers, computers, processors, peripherals and sufficient memory to get the maximum benefit from the private cloud.
   
• Configuring virtualization technologies such as containers, VMware or Hyper-V.
   
• Setting up a good framework for security. What firewalls will you use? Which people within the organization will you give what access and editing rights? And what types of encryption (symmetric or asymmetric encryption, hashing) and encryption standards (AES, IDAE, ECC, 3DES) do you choose?
   

Automation and orchestration help you manage resources in the private cloud. In fact, modern cloud environments are often very complex . The right planning and expertise and a versatile orchestration platform such as Kubernetes enable you to properly implement a private cloud.
 

Migrating to a private cloud
 

Migrating to a private cloud environment is a job that many organizations dread. Not surprisingly, because it is a project that requires careful planning and execution. For example, you need to identify which workloads are suitable for migration to the private cloud. Usually these are mainly the workloads over which you want to maintain a lot of control and which require strong security. Minimizing downtime when preparing and executing the migration is another important consideration, as is ensuring the compatibility of all applications and IT components with the new infrastructure.
 

But certainly don't forget adoption. Unfortunately, this is an often underestimated part of a successful cloud migration. If employees do not know their way around the new IT environment, you have little use for all the functionalities and possibilities that the private cloud offers. Invest both time and manpower in training and onboarding staff. This will increase your chances that the migration to the private cloud will actually lead to greater efficiency, improved security and additional flexibility. Involving external experts with additional knowledge in the migration often makes it easier for complex implementations and migrations to go smoothly.
 

Trends and future developments
 

The private cloud is far from static. With constant innovation and the advent of new technologies, the cloud model continues to change and evolve. For example, currently in play is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). People are primarily deploying these technologies to improve the management and monitoring of cloud environments. Detecting problems and cyber threats becomes easier and faster. Using historical data and current information, AI also allows you to make accurate predictions about future cloud needs and costs. 

Edge computing is also becoming more common in private cloud environments. You process data closer to the source, which reduces data transfer delays (latency). Multicloud strategies, where organizations combine services from multiple cloud providers, are also becoming more popular and provide an extra dose of flexibility. In short, the future of the private cloud looks bright through further optimization and innovation and will help organizations meet their growing IT needs in the future.
 

Eurofiber Cloud Infra's Private Cloud
 

If your organization is looking for the benefits and flexibility of the cloud, while maintaining full control and a customized IT environment, Eurofiber Cloud Infra's Private Cloud is the perfect solution.
 

Organizations using this solution benefit from:
 

• The flexibility and scalability you need to shape the cloud environment entirely as you see fit.
   
• Simplicity and compliance. Because our data centers and processes meet all relevant standards and certifications, you no longer have to worry about complex compliance issues.
   
• Customized, fully isolated resource pools running on a scalable and securely provisioned VMware cloud cluster.
   
• Access to the latest technologies. All without having to manage and maintain data centers yourself.
   
• Far-reaching data protection. We know exactly where our data centers are located in the Netherlands. Our secure and certified (ISO 27001, ISO 9001, ISO 50001, ISAE 3402 type 2 and ISO 1400) data centers are therefore ideally suited to organizations that must comply with strict data privacy regulations and local legislation.
   
• Hybrid cloud options. Our Private Cloud can also be deployed as a hybrid cloud model in conjunction with one or more public clouds.
   
• A customized exit strategy. This way vendor lock-in is never an issue.
   
• Various additional connectivity solutions under one roof. For example, a secure private connection to the cloud (Cloud Connect), business fiber and the Eurofiber Network.
   
• A cost that depends directly on usage. So you only pay for the components and resources you actually use.