In the age of the cloud, do you still need a server in the office?

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It’s the era of cloud technology, and businesses have started making the big shift in handling their data and moving some or all of those resources in the cloud. But is it still right and helpful for a business to maintain a server in the workplace, or is it better to move everything on the cloud?


First, it’s important to know the pros and cons of riding the cloud. The positive side: resources are equally accessible from anyone and anywhere, as long as there’s sufficient internet access speed. Data backup as well as redundancy can be made much simpler with proper configuration, while there’s also the ability to add resources such as memory, disk space, and processor at the mere touch of a button.

Image source: Pixabay.com  

As for the cons, accessing server resources requires a highly robust internet connection if most employees are located in the office. If the internet connection goes down, office productivity also drops or comes to a halt. Working with large files, too, can be time-consuming and will be limited by internet bandwidth instead of one’s local network bandwidth.


An in-house server is likely needed for redundancy and making one’s environment more compliant to a data recovery plan. A server also does a good job of consolidating one’s storage and resources, increasing security and reliability, organics email and backups, and managing viruses and spam, to name a few.


Ultimately, the question of whether a business needs a cloud-based server or an in-house one depends on its needs and can be determined by a good analysis of its work patterns and load. Know, too, that there’s the hybrid approach, where a mix of cloud and local based resources is key.

Michael Giuffrida is a managing partner at Hartford, Connecticut-based Titan Strategic Partners. The company’s expertise is in building and improving organizations from startups to established businesses. Learn more on this