Don’t build data centres in the cloud - here’s why

As organisations increasingly embrace cloud computing, one common misconception is the idea of "building data centres in the cloud". This misconception arises from a lack of understanding about how the cloud fundamentally differs from traditional on-premises data centres. In this blog post, we'll explore why building data centres in the cloud is not the right approach and what alternatives are more suitable.

Cost inefficiency

Building data centres in the cloud negates the cost benefits of cloud computing. It's akin to duplicating the expenses of a traditional data centre while missing out on the cloud's cost-efficiency advantages.

Limited flexibility

The cloud's greatest strength lies in its flexibility and agility. Building data centres in the cloud restricts your ability to harness these benefits fully.

Complexity

Managing your infrastructure in the cloud, as if it were an on-premises data centre, introduces unnecessary complexity. Cloud services offer a range of managed services that can simplify operations.

Missed opportunities

The cloud offers an array of advanced services, from machine learning to IoT, that can drive innovation. Building data centres in the cloud may lead to missed opportunities to leverage these cutting-edge technologies.

A more effective approach: cloud adoption and optimisation

Rather than building data centres in the cloud, organisations should focus on a cloud adoption and optimisation strategy:

• Assess your needs and evaluate which workloads, applications, or data are suitable for the cloud and which should remain on-premises.
  

• Migrate workloads strategically to the cloud, considering factors like cost, scalability, and performance.
  

• Continuously optimise your cloud infrastructure to ensure cost-efficiency and performance.
  

• Leverage cloud-native services to take full advantage of what the cloud offers.
  

• Implement robust security and compliance measures to protect your data in the cloud.

In conclusion, the cloud is not about replicating traditional data centres; it's about leveraging a new paradigm in computing. Building data centres in the cloud is counterproductive and costly. Instead, organisations should adopt a cloud-first mentality, focusing on efficient cloud adoption and optimisation to realise the full benefits of cloud computing while leaving the data centre mentality behind.