Public, private, hybrid: when do you choose which cloud?
For medium to large SMEs, the cloud is a logical part of the IT strategy today. But which cloud form is the right one (public, private or hybrid) is less obvious. Each option has its value, but the impact on safety, costs and continuity varies greatly.
At Epact, we believe that private cloud often best meets the needs of medium to large SMEs that expect certainty, control and support. In this blog, we'll take you through the options and answer the question: when should you choose which cloud?
Public cloud: flexible but not transparent
The public cloud is mainly located on the shared infrastructure of major international players. This makes it extremely flexible, but also less predictable.
Benefits of public cloud
• Unlimited scalability: You can easily scale up during peak loads or for temporary projects without pre-investing in hardware.
• Global availability: applications and data are accessible from anywhere in the world, which is convenient for international teams or customers.
• Rapid deployment of services: new functionalities and applications can be activated almost immediately without complex implementations.
Disadvantages of public cloud
• Less predictable costs: due to variable consumption, invoices can increase quickly and cost monitoring becomes more complex.
• Limited control over data: your data is on shared infrastructure where location, management, and auditability are not always transparent.
• Lock-in risk: collaborating with one hyperscaler makes future migrations time-consuming, expensive and technically challenging.
Conclusion
Public cloud is ideal for peak load organizations, international users, or short-term projects. But for SMEs, the certainty and predictability of costs is not transparent enough.
Private cloud: maximum control and predictability
A private cloud runs on infrastructure that is set up exclusively for one organization. This can be on-premise or in a dedicated data center. As a result, a private cloud combines (proprietary) technology with maximum control, security and transparency.
Benefits of private cloud
• Full control over data and infrastructure: you know exactly where your data is, who has access to it and how everything is managed.
• Predictable costs: fixed resources ensure stable and easy to plan costs, without any surprises on your invoice.
• High levels of security and compliance: ideal for organizations with strict regulations or sensitive data.
• Customized performance: resources are not shared with other customers, ensuring consistent performance.
Disadvantages of private cloud
• Reduced scalability: scaling up requires more planning and investment than public cloud.
• Higher initial costs: infrastructure and management require a higher uptake than shared cloud models.
• More responsibility: management, updates and optimization require clear governance and expertise. You manage this yourself or hire a partner.
Conclusion
Private cloud is particularly suitable for organizations that need maximum control, security and cost predictability. For SMEs with stable workloads and high compliance requirements, this is often the most reliable choice.
Hybrid cloud: flexibility without losing control
A hybrid cloud combines the best of both worlds: a private cloud for critical or sensitive workloads, complemented by a public cloud for flexibility and scalability. This way, you can tailor your IT environment to the needs of each application.
Hybrid cloud benefits
• Flexible where necessary: temporarily scale up in the public cloud at peak loads, while core systems remain safe in the private cloud.
• Optimal cost balance: combine predictable private cloud costs with pay-as-you-go for specific workloads.
• Data control and innovation: sensitive data remains under your own control, while you benefit from modern public cloud services.
• Gradual cloud strategy: ideal for organizations that want to modernize step by step without migrating everything at once.
Disadvantages of hybrid cloud
• More complex architecture: integration between private and public cloud requires a thoughtful approach.
• More management: multiple environments require clear monitoring, security agreements and governance.
• Dependency on expertise: a hybrid setup requires experience to optimally balance performance, costs and security.
Conclusion
Hybrid cloud is ideal for organizations that want flexibility without sacrificing control and security. For SMEs with a variety of workloads, this is often the most forward-looking and balanced cloud strategy.
Why private cloud is a strong fit for medium and large SMEs
1. Enterprise-level data security
Your data is stored in a protected, exclusive environment that complies with European legislation, so that sensitive business information remains better protected.
2. Full control over configuration and performance
You have dedicated resources and customized configurations, including your own policies, backup regimes and integrations that perfectly match business applications, without the limitations of standard cloud profiles.
3. Predictable and transparent costs
You work with fixed service bundles and rates, which makes budgeting easier and excludes unexpected cost peaks. This way, you know exactly where you stand, month after month.
4. Better support and local expertise
You'll receive direct, personal support from experts who know your environment inside out. No anonymous tickets, no queues — just a partner who thinks along.
5. Stronger compliance and auditability
You maintain full control over data location, access control, logging and encryption, which simplifies audits and helps to comply with sectoral regulations.
Private cloud therefore offers SMEs peace of mind: you know where your data is, who manages it and that everything works as it should.
How do you make the right choice as an SME?
The right choice depends on your processes, data sensitivity, compliance rules, and support expectations. A simple rule of thumb:
• Choose public cloud for scalability, international availability and innovation projects.
• Choose private cloud for business continuity, data security, control, and predictable costs.
• Choose hybrid cloud when both worlds reinforce each other in your IT environment.
In practice, we see that most medium-sized SMEs start or stabilize on the private cloud, because it best meets their needs for security, manageability and local support.
Do you want to know what private cloud can look like for your SME?
Then we would be happy to think along with you. Just contact us and we'll look at your concrete business case together. No obligations afterwards!