When we posted part II of our series about software deployment models last week—about on-prem deployment—you may have thought that we were done, and that on-prem and the public cloud were the only two options available to companies looking for an enterprise mobility solution.
But as a matter of fact, the saying that you can’t have your cake and eat it, too may not be true after all. There is a deployment model which combines the best qualities of on-prem and public cloud deployment—one that we offer here at App47—and it’s called managed service.
The managed service model deploys software via the cloud, but in its own virtual environment so that data is logically separated, more secure, and less susceptible to the data leakage which can be a problem with the public cloud under certain circumstances, albeit rarely. To better understand software deployment under the managed service model, it helps to think about the capabilities that potential clients want in their deployment solution:
- Data privacy—data should be hosted in its own environment
- Software needs to be subscription-based instead of license-based
- Software should be easy to deploy—don’t want the hassle that comes with on-prem
- Software should also be quick to deploy and update—don’t want to wait months for software
- Data and software should be easily accessible outside of the firewall
Looking at these criteria, it may seem like such a solution doesn’t exist. But with managed service software deployment, which uses that virtual environment on the cloud that we mentioned above, it really is possible to get the best of both worlds. Data is accessible via the cloud, and more safe and secure from leakage than the public cloud because of the way it’s logically separated. What’s more, the software is subscription-based, making it an inexpensive, easy-to-deploy option in comparison to on-prem deployment.
We understand that some clients want more privacy and/or security than the public cloud offers—but we also understand that not all businesses are able (or even willing) to invest the time and resources necessary to deploy software on-premise. For those clients seeking a more secure, but still accessible option, the cloud-enabled managed service model could certainly be the way to go.
In the past, getting the best of both worlds was difficult in the software world. If you didn’t want to pay a lot of money up front, but wanted all the capabilities of owning the software as if you owned it on a permanent license, you’d be out of luck. But not today. The managed service deployment model takes the best of both worlds and gives it to you in an accessible, subscription-based solution. Looks like you can have your cake and eat it, too, after all.
Be sure to check back later this week when we wrap up our series on software deployment models with a comparison chart and some final closing thoughts. And in the mean time, if you have any questions, let us know here in the comments or via the contact section of our site.
